The box office fate in April has already been underwhelming, with films like Biker and Rakasa failing big time. Even the latest release Dacoit is still in wait and watch mode. In the middle of this dull phase, a fresh controversy has now grabbed attention, and it has nothing to do with box office performance, but with how the industry reacts to piracy.
The issue started after ETV Win posted a tweet promoting their upcoming film Papam Prathap. The sarcastic and supposedly funny post was designed like a “public notice” about saving cinema and included hashtags related to Jana Nayagan, the film of Vijay which recently got leaked online. The tone of the post used repeated wordplay on “Papam” (pity or sin), which many felt was mocking rather than serious.
ana Nayagan, directed by H. Vinoth, is already going through a tough phase with censor delays. On top of that, an HD version of the film got leaked online even before release. This is a serious issue because piracy directly hits the film’s revenue and affects everyone involved in the project.
Instead of showing support, ETV Win’s post was seen as mocking the situation for promotion. That is what triggered outrage. Fans, especially Vijay fans, slammed the makers for using another film’s problem as a marketing tool. Many called it insensitive and cheap publicity. Many felt this is not creative publicity but worst behavior to use another’s film tragedy to market their own film.
The backlash also has a regional angle. A Telugu OTT platform commenting this way on a Tamil film did not sit well with many. People expected unity against piracy, not indirect trolling.
When a film industry is already struggling with piracy, using such a situation for promotion crosses a line.
Save Cinema #JanaNayagan
– #PapamPrathap pic.twitter.com/HbZ67W2ptf— ETV Win (@etvwin) April 10, 2026
