India, May 19 -- Even as Suriya's latest film Karuppu continues its strong run at the box office, the makers have landed in controversy over a scene referencing legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja and his long-standing copyright disputes. Following backlash online, the film's production team has now issued a public apology and confirmed that the controversial portion will either be removed or altered in future screenings and versions of the movie.

The criticism began after viewers noticed a comedic sequence involving the classic song Poradada from the 1985 film Alai Osai. Immediately after the song plays, a dialogue appears that seemingly mocks Ilaiyaraaja's history of issuing copyright notices against the unauthorised use of his music in fil...