The Malayalam cinema industry is currently grappling with a unique piracy crisis. While piracy has always plagued the global film industry, recent Malayalam movies have been facing a new challenge: HD and Ultra HD prints of films being leaked on torrent sites while they are still running in theatres and awaiting their OTT release. This alarming trend has already affected Sookshmadarshini and Marco, and now Marco’s Christmas 2025 rival, Extra Decent, has also fallen victim to this piracy. ‘Marco’ Hindi-Dubbed Version Leaked in HD and Ultra HD Prints on Torrents; Original Malayalam Theatrical Print of Unni Mukundan’s Ultra-Violent Action Thriller Also Pirated.

Extra Decent (ED) is a Malayalam black comedy directed by Aamir Pallikkal and written by Ashif Kakkodi. The film stars Suraj Venjaramoodu in the lead role, supported by Grace Antony, Shyam Mohan, Sudheer Karamana, and Vinaya Prasad. Suraj Venjaramoodu also serves as a producer alongside Listin Stephen.

The film was released in theatres on December 20, 2024, alongside Haneef Adeni's Marco and Aashiq Abu's Rifle Club. While Extra Decent received decent reviews, it was the least commercially successful among the three releases. To compound matters, the movie's HD print was leaked online on platforms such as Tamilblasters, TamilMV, Tamilrockers, and Telegram. This leak is expected to significantly impact its box office performance.

Watch The Trailer of 'Extra Decent':

The source of these leaks remains a mystery. Some speculate that the HD prints are being extracted directly from the screening room's content delivery system (CDR) rather than being recorded with a camera during a theatre screening. ‘Sookshmadarshini’: Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph’s Malayalam Movie Mysteriously Leaked Online in HD and Ultra HD Format Even Before Its OTT Release.

The situation has become so severe that actor Prithviraj Sukumaran took to Instagram, urging his followers not to download pirated copies and to avoid encouraging such illegal activities.

Prithviraj's Insta Story

There are even whispers of a conspiracy targeting the Malayalam film industry, which has been consistently producing high-quality content compared to other regional film industries. With Marco on the brink of becoming Malayalam cinema’s next pan-India success, some believe these leaks aim to sabotage its momentum.

Whatever the reason behind these leaks, the hope is that the film industry, along with the Kerala Cyber Cell, will identify the culprits and bring them to justice. For now, the battle against this form of piracy continues.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 02, 2025 03:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).