Zero pirated copies of Akhil Akkineni film Lenin leak online after Hyderabad crackdown

A coordinated anti-piracy operation operating out of the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad successfully prevented any pirated copies of the newly released Telugu movie 'Lenin' from leaking online during its opening weekend. Led by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) and the Anti-Video Piracy Cell (AVPC) of the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC), the joint initiative has also taken down more than 22,000 illegal URLs over the past seven months.

The movie 'Lenin', directed by Murali Kishor Abburu and starring Akhil Akkineni and Bhagyashri Borse, was released on July 10, 2026. While several Telugu releases in 2025 suffered from immediate online leaks, 'Lenin' escaped this fate due to real-time monitoring by commandos, police personnel, and AVPC members.

The anti-piracy push gained momentum after the TGCSB and the TFCC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in January 2026 to tackle digital film piracy. This agreement enabled authorities to identify and remove illegal content within minutes of it appearing online.

TGCSB Director Shikha Goel explained that the bureau stepped in because piracy sites act as gateways to a wider cybercrime ecosystem, leading users to platforms involved in betting, data theft, and child sexual abuse.

According to the TGCSB, over 22,000 URLs hosting pirated films have been taken down over the past seven months. Rajkumar Akella, chairperson of the AVPC, acknowledged that around 800 of these were rogue websites that typically ignore standard industry complaints, making police intervention crucial.

To dismantle the piracy syndicates, the Telangana police recently made two major arrests. Jignesh Batbarbhari Solanki was arrested in Thane for allegedly recording the Telugu film 'Dacoit' at a Cinepolis theatre. Forensic analysis of 38 films using invisible watermarks helped trace the digital footprint to the theatres where the illegal recordings occurred. Solanki is alleged to have recorded more than 50 films across multiple languages.

Police also arrested Rahul Mehta, a repeat offender previously arrested in 2017 in connection with the piracy of 'Baahubali: The Conclusion', for his role in distributing pirated copies online.

Film producer Supriya Yarlagadda, who is active in the AVPC’s initiatives, stated that these arrests have sent a strong message to piracy networks. She noted that more than 300 repeat-offender websites use professional interfaces to mimic legitimate streaming platforms to lure users and generate ad revenue.