Shivarajkumar
is
beyond
any
doubt,
one
of
the
biggest
and
most
revered
stars
in
the
Kannada
film
industry
today.
Fondly
referred
to
as
the
'Simple
Ruling
King',
the
skilled
veteran
enjoys
a
strong
fan
following
courtesy
his
stunning
screen
presence,
dashing
looks
and
impressive
versatility
as
a
performer.
A
legend
in
his
own
right,
Shivanna
has
also
won
the
hearts
of
countless
movie-goers
courtesy
his
bold
yet
humble
nature.
At
present,
he
is
in
the
limelight
because
of
his
latest
release
The
Villain.
The
film
hit
the
screens
nearly
a
month
ago
and
it
is
still
going
strong
at
the
box
office.
Now,
here
is
some
shocking
news
for
all
you
The
Villain
fans.
The
Villain
Hit
By
Piracy
In
a
worrying
development,
it
seems
that
The
Villain
has
fallen
prey
to
piracy,
even
though
it
is
still
playing
in
the
theatres.
Quite
a
few
links
encouraging
'free
downloading'
of
The
Villain
are
going
viral
on
the
internet
and
creating
a
buzz
for
all
the
wrong
reasons.
It
Will
Not
Affect
The
BO
Collections
The
Villain
has
already
created
history
at
the
box
office
and
set
numerous
records.
Moreover,
it
has
already
been
playing
in
the
theatres
for
a
month.
As
such,
the
leak
is
unlikely
to
cause
much
effect
on
its
box
office
collections.
That
said
and
done,
this
is
a
condemnable
act
and
we
hope
such
a
thing
never
happens
again.
The
Background
The
problem
of
piracy
has
been
haunting
the
Telugu
and
Telugu
film
industries
for
quite
some
time
now.
U
Turn,
Kaala
and
96
are
just
a
few
of
the
recent
films
that
have
suffered
losses
because
of
piracy.
Similarly,
the
recent
supernatural-thriller
Taxiwala
was
leaked
online
by
Tamilrockers
even
before
its
release.
Judging
by
what
has
happened
to
The
Villain,
it
seems
that
the
Kannada
film
industry
too
is
no
longer
immune
to
piracy.
To
Conclude...
Previously,
several
government
agencies
had
taken
steps
to
control/eradicate
piracy.
However,
the
problem
has
not
been
solved
yet.
Let
us
hope
that
those
in
authority
find
a
concrete
solution
at
the
earliest
and
ensure
no
film
ever
suffers
because
of
piracy.