Election Commission clears way for RGV's 'Lakshmi's NTR' to release

The Election Commission on Monday cleared the release of Ram Gopal Verma’s upcoming film Lakshmi’s NTR. This, after a complaint was filed with the EC against the film by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for allegedly portraying Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in a bad light ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. The complaint was filed by one of the party workers, urging the commission to stall the release of the movie until the completion of Andhra elections on April 11.

Rakesh Reddy, the producer of the film, was summoned by the EC after the body served a notice to the movie makers. According to media reports, the producer, on Monday, met the EC and convinced the panel that the movie was not made with the intention of defaming a particular person. He reportedly said that the release date for the movie was fixed before the election date for Andhra was announced.

The commission also found that the film was not derogatory to the Telugu Desam Party or to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and cleared the line for the release of the movie. The movie’s new release date is yet to be announced.

“Line Clear For Laxmi's NTR Movie Release | Producer Rakesh Reddy Meets EC," director Ram Gopal Verma tweeted after the EC gave the green signal for the release of the movie.

Line Clear For Laxmi's NTR Movie Release | Producer Rakesh Reddy Meets E... https://t.co/34Z2O5tkd6 via @YouTube

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) March 25, 2019

In his petition to the poll panel, Devibabu Choudhary, a worker of the ruling TDP, had sought orders to stop the release of Lakshmi’s NTR which was slated to hit the screens on March 22. Choudhary lodged a complaint against the film which is supposedly based on events that occurred in party founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao's life after his second marriage. He complained that the film has portrayed TDP President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a negative light and claimed that this could influence the voters. He'd demanded that the film's release be stopped till April 11.

Lakshmi's NTR is about NTR's second marriage to Lakshmi Parvathi, the TDP's landslide victory in the 1994 elections, the revolt and internal party coup led by NTR's son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu in August 1995 and NTR's death a few months later.

Already, the film has seen a lot of controversy as a song released last year titled 'Vennupotu' talks about backstabbing, with many saying that it suggests that Naidu was responsible for NTR’s death.