HYDERABAD: In Ram Gopal Verma’s film Raktha Charitra, a character purportedly resembling N T Rama Rao is shown to be a passive instigator of faction violence in a faux-mythical district called Anandapur. His bloody-mindedness dates back to his path-breaking tour of the state which launched him into political stardom.
In the faction cauldron of Anandapuram, a local potentate dares to obstruct the thespian’s cavalcade and forever falls foul of him. Years later, the big man’s local feudatory asks what’s to be done with the offending factionist. Playing cricket with his grandson, the chieftain says, “Out!” Ram Gopal Verma’s long-in-the-making faction opus was predicted to show Anantapur warlords as villains but few expected it to have a go at N T Rama Rao himself. The movie is based on faction feuds involving the late TDP MLA Paritala Ravindra, Maddelacheruvu Suri and the Sane family. The inclusion of a likeness of NTR, as a timid but wily player, in this vicious saga infuriated TDP supporters across the state. Hours after its release today, they obstructed its screening, trashing cinemas, tearing posters and giving the shoe (picture) to the film maker.
TDP president Chandrababu Naidu was livid. His father-in-law, he said was a stubborn man, but no coward.
It was he who brought any sense of sanity to the badlands of Rayalaseema.
He demanded an unqualified apology from Varma.
By evening, after the film had generated much publicity, the film’s producer C Kalyan announced that the offending ‘NTR’ scenes would be pulled from the film in AP. He said he and his director had the greatest respect for N T Rama Rao, etc.
Theatre managements screening the movie made frantic calls for security as TDP supporters besieged theatres. More than 200 protesters across the state were
arrested for stalling the movie and damaging property.
In Vijayawada, TD P leaders burnt an effigy of Varma and stalled the screening. MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao warned Varma to remove the scenes belittling NTR failing which he would be taught a lesson.
In Vizag, nearly 200 TD P activists obstructed the screening and tore posters. Police had to use force to disperse them.
In Tirupati, TDP activists demonstrated at a theatre and burnt posters.
They wanted the movie banned forthwith.
Angry TDP activists ransacked and ripped the screen at Srinivasa theatre in Karimnagar. They damaged seats and pelted stones at the window panes. Protests were reported from several other places: Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, Kurnool, Warangal and Guntur.
Verma himself did not watch the film in Anantapur as had been anticipated.
He chose to see it in the safe environs of Bangalore. Paritala Ravi’s widow spent a quiet day, visiting a temple.