HYDERABAD: There seems to be no ending to the long trail of controversies for filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma. The director, who was once reckoned as the pioneer of new-age cinema, has shifted his focus onto directing biopics and political satires.
Once again, the 57-year-old director’s new film, Kamma Rajyamlo Kadapa Reddlu, a political satire that revolves around the politics of AP has triggered a controversy after a section of people raised concerns about the film’s title and questioned RGV’s motive behind making this movie.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding the film, RGV addressing a media conference here on Wednesday, explains, “For the first time, I have made a message-oriented film titled ‘Kamma Rajyamlo Kadapa Reddlu.’ Of late, controversies have become part and parcel of my life.
In the film, a father fondly serves ‘pappu’ (dal) to his son. Why call it a joke? I tried to depict the love a father shows on his son in an honest way and it was the media that is falsely implicating things to me, “ he said.
Elaborating on the film’s content, he adds, “The idea for the film germinated after YS Jaganmohan Reddy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The film is a fictional take on the political incidents that I assumed to have happened between May 2019 to September 2020. In a way, I have shown the past, the present and the future.”
On his feud with KA Paul, the director says, “KA Paul is not an imaginary character, he is a human being, who lives just like us. I know he is sharing some posts about me on social media. I have stopped taking him seriously,” he remarked. Hinting at a sequel to the movie, RGV says, “I am toying with the idea of making a sequel to this film and planning to call it Kadapa Rajyaniki Kamma Fans.”
TS HC asks Censor Board to submit report on RGV’s film
A division bench of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the regional officer of the Central board of film certification (CBFC) to submit a report to it regarding the action taken on application filed by the film unit of ‘Kamma Rajyamlo Kadapa Reddlu’ seeking issuance of certificate for its exhibition in cinema theatres, which is scheduled to be released on November 29.
The bench was passing this order in a PIL filed by M Indrasena Chowdary, seeking direction to the Censor Board, not to issue certificate for the film of director Ram Gopal Varma. Petitioner’s counsel Y Balaji told the court that the film was made with a hidden agenda to defame the Kamma caste and to demoralise the TDP and its leaders.
In fact, the film is defamatory in nature against Kamma and Reddy castes and there is every possibility of creating unrest in the Telugu states if the film is allowed for screening in theatres, he added. After hearing the case, the bench directed the standing counsel for CBFC to submit relevant report to it by Thursday and adjourned the case hearing.