Recently, RJ Balaji's candid admission that Karuppu was initially pitched to be Vijay's final film rubbed Suriya's fans the wrong way. The flak against Balaji intensified when he reiterated the same during his meeting with Vijay. The film's editor R Kalaivanan's remark that the film would've been 'even more explosive' had it starred Vijay didn't help matters.
Suriya posted a cryptic note on his Instagram stories, 'Lead with love. Stay kind. Stay generous.' Given the timing, many fans took it to mean he was referring to the controversy. 'Looks like he is watching everything,' wrote one fan on X.
RJ Balaji revealed in an interview that Karuppu was pitched to be Vijay's final film, and Suriya's fans took offence that he was giving credit to Vijay for the success of Karuppu over his lead actor. Editor Kalaivanan admitted to being Vijay's fan and said the film would've been 'even more explosive' had it starred Vijay.
After backlash, Kalaivanan apologized and said he didn't mean to offend Suriya's fans. Karuppu gave Suriya the hit he had been waiting for a long time, grossing ₹300 crore worldwide.
