Trisha Krishnan and Suriya’s much-awaited Tamil film Karuppu released in theatres on May 15 after its shows were initially cancelled due to financial disputes.
A day after the film’s release, singer and dubbing artiste Chinmayi Sripaada made a public announcement on X that she had dubbed for Trisha in the film.
However, her revelation came with a sense of fear, as she said she was worried about possible backlash based on her past experiences.
“Strange — I am readying myself saying this... I was genuinely afraid this time of sharing that I dubbed in Karuppu,” Chinmayi wrote.
She also mentioned that she has known director RJ Balaji and his family for a long time and did not want them to face any trouble because of her involvement in the film.
“I have known RJ Balaji for a long time. He and his wife are such lovely people, and RJB himself is someone whose entire life is a story of grit and determination. He is a man working very hard to make his dreams come true. Maybe because I knew him and his family so well, I was scared for him about what pushback he would get, based on my experience last time with Leo,” she wrote.
Chinmayi said dubbing for a few scenes in the film was emotionally overwhelming.
“I remember crying buckets while dubbing a couple of scenes in the film. It was a massive trigger, almost like I saw everything from the past play out on the big screen,” she added.
Thanking the director, Chinmayi wrote, “I am grateful for the opportunity. Thank you for letting me dub for Trisha.”
She further said she hoped Karuppu Saami would help her work in her home industry without fear.
“And I hope Karuppu Saami will help me work on my home ground without fear, and work without being scared of what will happen next. May God help unban me and others who have been banned from working for years,” Chinmayi wrote.
Chinmayi’s dubbing work became controversial because she was removed from the Tamil Dubbing Union in 2018 after speaking out during the #MeToo movement and accusing union president Radha Ravi of sexual harassment.
Her return as Trisha’s dubbing voice in Vijay’s Leo became a major talking point in 2023. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj and producer Lalit Kumar reportedly brought her on board despite the ban for the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions of the film.
Karuppu is written and directed by RJ Balaji. Along with Suriya and Trisha Krishnan, the film features Indrans, Natty, Swasika, Sshivada, Anagha and Supreeth Reddy in important roles.
The music for the film has been composed by Sai Abhyankkar.
