The pre-release event of Karuppu in Hyderabad on Monday was a night of big statements — and Karthi stole the show with his heartfelt and hilarious tribute to his brother Suriya.

Kicking off with a quip that had the crowd in splits, Karthi said, "Actually, I was busy shooting, but they told me Rolex was here. I dropped by to say hi to him" — a playful nod to Suriya's iconic Vikram character.

Turning serious, Karthi praised RJ Balaji for crafting Suriya's iconic look in the film. "I was so amazed when I first saw the poster — Suriya holding a sickle and a cigar. Thank you, Balaji, for that particular look. Just love the way you've portrayed him," he said, describing Karuppu as a mass-entertaining masala film that will also be hilarious thanks to Balaji's ability to write humour in unexpected situations.

On composer Sai Abhyankkar, Karthi admitted to initial scepticism — "I wondered how someone who composes for the Gen Z crowd can compose for a film like this." But the God Mode song changed his mind entirely. "I had heard of Beast Mode, but never God Mode — that made me enjoy it even more," he said.

Saving his biggest words for Suriya, Karthi drew a powerful comparison. "Nobody else can carry this kind of role in God mode — only Anna can do it. Watching him perform, I was taken back to Baahubali, where Prabhas carries an entire Sivalinga. Only some people can carry such an aura," he said. He also seconded RJ Balaji's statement that Karuppu is a film made for theatre audiences — not for social media — and revealed he plans to watch it in Telugu during his Hyderabad stay.

Karuppu releases on May 14, featuring Trisha, Sshivada, Swasika, Yogi Babu, Anagha Maaya Ravi, Supreeth Reddy, and Indrans alongside Suriya, with GK Vishnu on cinematography and Kalaivanan editing.