HYDERABAD: NTR biopic being made to picturise the wonderful and glittering life of legendary Telugu film actor NT Rama Rao has hit the headlines for one more time. Muralidhar, elder son of former chief minister Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, on Thursday, sent two legal notices to film actor and TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, who is playing the role of his father NTR in the biopic, asking the latter not to show Bhaskara Rao in a poor light in the movie. Another notice was also slapped on Tollywood director Jagarlamudi Radhakrishna alias Krish, who is directing the biopic.
According to sources, as the movie is aimed at capturing the entire cine and political life of NTR on celluloid, Balakrishna, popularly known as Balayya, who is producing the flick, has decided to include Bhaskara Rao’s episode in the movie, wherein NTR faced a revolt from Rao after forming the government in 1983.
The entire incident of how Rao ousted NTR from the CM’s post, with the support of some of the then TDP MLAs and how later NTR reclaimed the CM chair within a month by fighting back with the support of people is said to be included in the film. Objecting to this, Rao’s elder son Muralidhar told Express that they have no objection to Balayya’s decision to produce a movie on the life of NTR. “But, we are against presenting our father Bhaskara Rao in a poor light in the movie. It's not appropriate for anybody to portray a great leader in a negative shade for the sake of eulogising another leader.
In simple terms, what our argument is that none should belittle the personality of my father for the sake of praising their own father to the skies,” Muralidhar told Express. He informed that in order to caution the film producer and director against belittling Bhaskara Rao, legal notices have been sent.
In fact, it was Bhaskara Rao, who was instrumental in making NTR float TDP in March 1982. Later, with the support of party MLAs, Rao became the Chief Minister as per the decision was taken by then Governor in accordance with Constitutional provisions.
Hence, the episode should not be considered as betrayal or back-stabbing. This was conveyed to the film producer and director through the notices. Even then, if they go ahead with their act of including Rao’s episode in the movie, then they will have to face a defamation suit,” sources close to the family of Bhaskara Rao informed. Two notices were sent to both.