Fresh Piracy Panic in TFI: Ravi Says, “Not My iBomma”!

Piracy has once again become a massive headache for Tollywood after newly released films reportedly started surfacing online through a fresh iBomma-style platform called Bappam. Just when the Telugu film industry believed it had finally controlled the piracy problem after the arrest of the original iBomma operator, the issue has now returned in a new form.

The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce has once again filed a complaint against piracy websites iBomma and Bappam after several newly released films allegedly appeared on these platforms. Following the complaint, Cyber Crime police reportedly registered fresh cases and launched another investigation into the operations behind the websites.

Interestingly, Ravi, the mastermind associated with the original iBomma platform, has now publicly clarified that he has no connection with the Bappam website currently circulating online. According to him, unknown operators are misusing the already famous “iBomma” brand name to attract users and continue piracy activities under new domains.

For a brief period after Ravi’s arrest, Tollywood genuinely felt relieved. Authorities had reportedly frozen accounts, dismantled parts of the piracy network, and started investigating the digital infrastructure connected to iBomma. Many producers believed the industry had finally delivered a strong blow to organised piracy.

But the latest developments suggest the ecosystem may have been much larger than originally assumed.

iBomma was never controlled by a single individual but operated through a broader digital ecosystem involving multiple operators, mirror sites, Telegram groups, bots, and constantly changing domains. Cyber Crime police are reportedly tracing IP addresses, hosting details, and backend digital trails to identify who currently runs these piracy platforms and whether new groups have continued operations under the same branding.

Today’s piracy system functions like a decentralized network, where blocked domains are instantly replaced by clones and leaked links spread rapidly through Telegram. Smaller films suffer the most damage from such leaks.

Many in Tollywood now believe piracy cannot be controlled through arrests alone and requires stronger cyber enforcement, faster takedowns, affordable ticket pricing, better theatre experiences, and easier legal access to content.