Madras High Court Orders ISPs to Block Pirated ‘Coolie’ Starring Rajinikanth

Anticipation builds for ‘Coolie,’ the upcoming film starring Rajinikanth, slated for a 2025 release. The film is expected to compete with ‘War 2,’ featuring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, aiming for a significant pan-India debut this Independence Day. However, the film faced a challenge when reports emerged regarding the illegal circulation of pirated versions online. To combat this, the Madras High Court intervened on August 11, issuing an order to prevent the unauthorized distribution and streaming of the film on illicit websites. Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy’s interim injunction instructed 36 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across the country to block access to websites hosting pirated copies of ‘Coolie.’ The court’s directive followed a review of the film’s certification and confirmation of Sun TV Network Limited as the legitimate producer. The court emphasized the potential for ‘irreparable injury’ to the production if the injunction wasn’t granted. The court’s order also targets five Chennai-based cable TV providers, including Action Lane, JAK Communications, and Thamizhaga Cable TV, preventing them from illegally broadcasting the movie. Major ISPs such as BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Hathway, Reliance Communications, and Tata Teleservices are subject to the court’s mandate.