On August 19, Sony LIV of India released Tamilrockerz, a TV series about the infamous pirate site by the same name. The story is told from the viewpoint of police detective that pursues the group behind Tamilrockerz, which had threatened to release an upcoming blockbuster film online before its theatrical release, according to reporting by The Indian Express.
“The web series not only tells the story of the industry but also delves into the emotions of hundreds of technicians, who work in it. Tamilrockerz reflects the pain that people go through because of these illegal websites,” says series director Arivazhagan Venkatachalam, according to reporting by OTTPlay.
The story is said to closely mirror the turn of events for a real-life film released in 2018. Tamilrockers was a piracy Web site that formed in around 2011. The site was said to have shut down in 2020 on its own initiative.
Further reading
“Digital Piracy, amid the Pandemic, still an issue: Arivazhagan on directing Tamilrockerz” by OTT Play
“Explained: Who were Tamilrockerz, the piracy group that became a headache for the Tamil film industry?” by The Indian Express
Why it matters
It’s ironic that a TV program about piracy runs the risk of being pirated! An industry source has confirmed that this has in fact happened. Piracy Monitor will post an update to this article with specifics.
