Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has once again found himself in the middle of controversy, after he was detained in Vijayawada International Airport in Gannavaram. The director announced on Twitter on Sunday morning that he would hold a press conference “in the middle of the road” at 4 pm for his film Lakshmi’s NTR.
“Today Sunday at 4 pm there will be a press meet right in the middle of the road at Pipula Road NTR circle. I extend an open invitation to media friends, true fans of NTR, everyone who is a little fond of me and the public who respects the truth to come be a part of this meeting,” he had tweeted on Sunday morning.
Speaking to TNM, Gannavaram ASI said, “Since he announced that he would hold a meeting on the street, there was fear that there might be some unrest and violence at the venue. Our station received orders from the Commissioner of Police to send Ram Gopal Varma back to Hyderabad. Our inspectors went and explained things to him and stayed with him at the airport until he got on a flight back to Hyderabad.”
The police also said that prohibitory orders were in force in view of the Model Code of Conduct for ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
After he was barred and sent back to Hyderabad, RGV tweeted: “Sorry to inform that the press meet at 4 pm is cancelled because the police stopped us and have barred my entry into Vijaywada and forcibly sending me back to hyderabad ..Hey @ncbn WHERE IS DEMOCRACY ? WHY IS TRUTH BEING BACK STABBED?”
In a video he tweeted, RGV says, “We were forcefully dragged out of our cars and put in a different car and brought back to the airport.”
“I understand that the police have a responsibility to take care of law and order. But I don't understand why they're saying I can't go to Vijayawada or even be in the Vijayawada airport. My producer and I asked repeatedly but without responding to our questions the police have kept us in the airport,” he said.
In another video put out by RGV, Lakshmi’s NTR’s producer Rakesh Reddy can be seen talking to the police, where he says that they were dragged out.
“If you had a problem with it, you could’ve told us beforehand not to conduct it at 4 pm. If we did it against that order, then you can ask,” he says.
According to RGV, the press meet was initially supposed to be held at Novotel and Hotel Ilapuram but they were both cancelled due to pressure. A staff member of Hotel Ilapuram told TNM that the police told them to cancel the press meet.
RGV wanted to hold the press meet for his film Lakshmi’s NTR, which released everywhere except in Andhra Pradesh on March 29, and is set to release in Andhra Pradesh on May 1. The film had run into trouble before its release.
A TDP worker had petitioned the Election Commission urging it to stop the release of Lakshmi's NTR on the ground that this could impact the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state, and complained that the film has portrayed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a negative light.
The film is about TDP founder and former Andhra CM N T Rama Rao's second marriage with Lakshmi Parvathi and the subsequent differences in the family, leading to revolt by his son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu in August 1995. NTR died in January 1996.
IANS inputs