VIJAYAWADA: Fresh from the success of his period drama, Gautami Putra Satakarni, actor Nandamuri Balakrishna on Monday announced that he would produce and star in a biopic on his father and TDP founder the late NT Rama Rao. "It will be a biopic and will contain many unknown facets from the life of NTR," Balakrishna told reporters at his ancestral village Nimmakuru in Krishna district.
He was in Nimmakuru along with son-in-law Nara Lokesh to participate in several local programmes. According to him, the script will be based on books written about NTR as well as inputs from close relatives, friends and aides. "While research is going on, the film will feature all the developments in his life from birth to death," he said in reply to pointed queries on the script. To a pointed query on who plays the lead, he shot back, “I will. Any doubt?" and in the same breath, said the director, technicians and other film crew will be finalised shortly.
The announcement raised quite a few eyebrows given NTR's roller-coaster political career and the sensitivities involved. It remains to be seen how Balakrishna would portray the 1995 August episode wherein his father was dethroned by his brother-in-law N Chandrababu Naidu. It would also be interesting to see how NTR's widow Lakshmi Parvati would be depicted.
Balakrishna's move came amid a raging controversy over his personal assistant Sekhar's alleged disruptive activities in the actor's Hindupur assembly constituency. The TDP leaders in the segment have split into two factions - one in Sekhar's support and the other against - and have been taking out protests and counter-protests over the last one week. Asked to comment on the issue, Balakrishna asserted, “I will not tolerate groupism.” Meanwhile, APCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy lashed out at Balakrishna for allowing his personal assistant to act on his behalf and dictate terms to the district administration. He demanded immediate action against Balakrishna and his personal assistant.