How Telangana police is curbing Telugu film piracy with cyber operations
The Telugu film industry, which has long struggled with digital piracy, is seeing a new level of protection through a coordinated effort by the Telangana police and industry bodies. The recent release of 'Lenin', starring Akhil Akkineni and Bhagyashri Borse, remained free from piracy during its opening weekend—a rare achievement in 2025.
This success is credited to an anti-piracy operation involving commandos, police personnel, and the Anti-Video Piracy Cell (AVPC) of the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC). The operation is based at the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB)'s Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad.
The initiative gained traction after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between TGCSB and TFCC in January 2026. Since then, real-time monitoring has allowed authorities to detect and remove illegal content within minutes. TGCSB director Shikha Goel explained that piracy websites often link users to other illegal activities, including betting and child sexual abuse, making the bureau's involvement necessary.
According to TGCSB, over 22,000 URLs hosting pirated films have been taken down in the past seven months. AVPC chairperson Rajkumar Akella noted that about 800 of these were rogue websites that typically ignore complaints from the film industry, underscoring the importance of police action.
However, Akella cautioned that takedowns alone are insufficient, as new piracy links emerge quickly. The real challenge lies in dismantling piracy syndicates. Two recent arrests have instilled fear in these networks, he said.
The TGCSB considers the arrests of Jignesh Batbarbhari Solanki and Rahul Mehta as major breakthroughs. Solanki was caught allegedly recording the Telugu film 'Dacoit' at a Cinepolis theatre in Thane. He is believed to have recorded over 50 films across multiple languages, including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam. Mehta, a repeat offender previously arrested in 2017 for pirating 'Baahubali: The Conclusion', was accused of distributing pirated copies online.
The arrests followed months of forensic analysis. Pirated prints of 38 films were examined using invisible watermarks to trace the digital footprints back to the theatres where illegal recordings were made. Rajkumar credited Goel and her team for coordinating with Mumbai authorities for the arrest in Thane.
Film producer Supriya Yarlagadda, involved in AVPC's anti-piracy efforts, said the arrests have begun to deter offenders. She noted that more than 300 piracy websites are repeat offenders, often using professional interfaces that mimic legitimate streaming platforms to attract users and generate ad revenue from betting sites and dark web portals.
Goel emphasised the need for public awareness. While theatres already display anti-piracy slides, the bureau is encouraging exhibitors to install posters and play audio messages warning against illegal recordings. The industry is also urging the central government to tighten regulations on international cloud-hosting platforms that offer safe harbour protection and host pirated content.
