Tollywood’s biggest stars have come together to praise the Hyderabad Police after the successful arrest of iBomma founder Immadi Ravi, marking one of the most significant breakthroughs in India’s long-standing battle against digital movie piracy. Actors Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and SS Rajamouli personally met Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar on November 17 to express their appreciation for the department’s swift action. The crackdown has been welcomed by the entire film fraternity and political leaders alike, as it targets a piracy network responsible for heavy financial losses to multiple film industries across India.
Chiranjeevi stated that piracy has long robbed the industry of hundreds of crores in revenue, and he highlighted how Immadi Ravi openly challenged the police before his arrest. Chiranjeevi thanked Commissioner Sajjanar for ensuring that such arrogance did not go unanswered. He mentioned that major films like Game Changer, Thandel and Kingdom suffered huge losses due to early piracy leaks, and added that the ease with which young individuals across states were earning money through piracy was deeply concerning.
Sharing his experience, Nagarjuna recalled how he and other industry members met officials months ago to raise alarms about the growing digital threat. He warned that piracy networks are not limited to Telugu films but affect Hindi, Tamil and several regional industries. He explained that illegal websites trap users with free content while secretly obtaining their personal data, leading to cyber fraud. Rajamouli compared the police operation to a cinematic chase, praising the Telangana Police for tracking down the mastermind within two months. He urged audiences to realize that nothing is truly free online and that piracy websites profit by exploiting user data.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also applauded the cybercrime team, calling the arrest a major victory. He emphasized that the losses caused by piracy extend beyond money, affecting the artistry and effort poured into making films. He warned that gangs running websites like iBomma and Bappam thrive on leaking films on the day of release, damaging the industry and misusing people’s personal information. Pawan Kalyan noted his earlier meeting with Commissioner Sajjanar, where the police briefed him about rising digital crimes and financial fraud tied to illegal websites.
Police officials confirmed that Immadi Ravi was arrested on November 14 after returning to Hyderabad. Investigators revealed that he operated nearly 65 piracy platforms and mirror domains, drawing over 37 lakh monthly visitors. These sites illegally streamed Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and other regional films, causing widespread losses across industries. With the arrest marking a major disruption of India’s largest piracy network, the film fraternity hopes the crackdown will discourage illegal streaming and encourage audiences to support cinema legally.
