Days after a police complaint was filed against director Ram Gopal Varma for his upcoming film Lakshmi's NTR, a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA has approached the Hyderabad High Court demanding that the censor board delete a song from the film, which hints at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
TDP MLA from Pithapuram, S V S B Varna said that the song 'Vennupotu', which talks about backstabbing, suggested that Naidu was responsible for TDP founder and former state Chief Minister NT Rama Rao. The petition also took an objection with Varma for portraying Naidu in this way.
Just earlier this week, Kurnool MLA SV Mohan Reddy filed a complaint against the director for 'defaming' Naidu. Speaking to the media, Mohan Reddy said that RGV should be booked for defamation, and that a criminal case should be filed against him. He added that besides the director, other artists including the music composer, singers and lyricists should be booked for the objectionable song.
On Saturday, several TDP members protested against the song by burning photos and effigies of Ram Gopal Varma in front of AP Film Chamber Hall in Vijayawada. They raised slogans against RGV, demanding that he pull down the song.
Parvathi was the second wife of NTR. He married her in 1993, a few months before he returned to power with a landslide victory. However, NTR's son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu led an internal party coup and became Chief Minister in August 1995, citing Parvathi's growing interference in administration and party affairs.
NTR had launched a campaign against Naidu for 'backstabbing'. He died in January 1996 at the age of 72. Since then, Parvathi had been living in political oblivion, until 2014, when she joined the YSRCP.
There are two biopics of NTR currently in the making. While NTR’s son and actor-politician Balakrishna who is close to Naidu, is gearing up for one film and even released a teaser of the film recently, Ram Gopal Varma had announced that he would be making a biopic from Lakshmi Parvathi’s viewpoint and titled the film Lakshmi’s NTR.