A man was arrested for piracy in a major blow to Tollywood: Over 65 films leaked in HD. In a serious crackdown on digital piracy, Cyber Crime Police in Hyderabad have arrested a man from East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, for allegedly pirating dozens of high-profile Tollywood films. The accused, Jan Kiran Kumar, who works as an AC technician, reportedly used camera cards in local cinemas to secretly record new releases and sell high-definition prints online.
Kiran is believed to have sold these pirated films to several illegal websites, including “One Tamil Blasters” and “5MovieRules”, among others. Investigators revealed that he earned between ₹40,000 and ₹80,000 for each film, with payments often made in cryptocurrency to avoid detection.
According to police, Kiran has been involved in film piracy since 2019 and has admitted to leaking more than 65 films over the years, including major titles such as Game Changer, Kanappa, Pellikani Prasad, Rajadhani, and the recently released Single. Authorities have seized a large number of HD movie files from his possession.
The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) stated in a formal complaint that the piracy racket has caused the industry a loss of over ₹3,700 crore. The Chamber’s Anti-Piracy Cell, represented by Yarra Manindra Babu, filed the complaint that led to Kiran’s arrest.
He now faces charges under the Copyright Act of 1957, the Information Technology Act, and various sections related to cybercrime. The police have confirmed that further investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the operation and others possibly involved.
This incident highlights the growing threat of online piracy and the massive damage it continues to cause to the film industry, especially at a time when theatrical revenues are recovering post-pandemic.