VIJAYAWADA: The ongoing slugfest over Ram Gopal Varma’s movie Vangaveeti took another turn Monday, on the occasion of the 28th death anniversary of the late Congress leader Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga, with the latter’s son and YSRC leader Radha warning the maverick director of “serious consequences” for portraying his father as a gangster.
Varma too hit back, in true filmi style, declaring that he was ready for “basthi mein sawaal”.
Voicing his opinion on the movie, which hit the screens last week, for the first time in public, Radha said director Varma will face “severe consequences” from the followers of Radha-Ranga Mitra Mandali, the next time he lands in Vijayawada. He described Varma as a useless character (Pakodi Gaadu) and remarked, “I do not need to respond to a movie full of half truths and factual errors. It has neither a beginning nor an ending.”
Radha alleged that Varma had made the film only for money. Had he informed them earlier, Ranga’s followers would have collected donations for him, he said. “People need not care about the comments made by some useless fellows like Varma without knowing the facts of Ranga’s life history. Instead, he should shut his mouth. Every resident in Vijayawada knows the services rendered by Ranga to the poor and the downtrodden,” Radha added. In response, Varma questioned, “Do they want me to depict Ranga like Mahatma Gandhi or Mother Teresa? Everyone knows what he was and what he had done. Though I know many facts about Ranga, his wife and their followers, I chose not to dwell on them due to my respect for Ranga and his services to the people.”
The film director claimed that he had enough documentary evidence about Ranga and his life, that many Radha-Ranga followers might not like to hear about. He told Ranga’s son Radha not to force him to reveal the truth. “I cannot show the entire 26 years of events in a movie and chose to stick to certain events. If they want, Radha can make a movie ‘Asalu Vangaveeti’ (real Vangaveeti) and showcase whatever he wishes to,” Varma challenged.
Meanwhile, the Ranga-Radha Mitra Mandali protested at Ajitsingh Nagar here against Varma’s comments on Radha. They poured milk on Ranga’s portrait and burned an effigy of Varma. They demanded that the movie’s screening be stopped.