Tollywood’s obsession with the Telugu film star and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao seems to be heating up, with the announcement of yet another film on the icon, which means four parallel biopics are potentially being made on the same person at the same time.
Director Ram Gopal Varma’s announcement that he was planning to make a film titled ‘Lakshmi’s NTR’ stirred a hornet’s nest, as many feared that his film might depict hitherto little-known aspects of NTR’s marriage with Ms. Parvathi. The film-maker responded, stating that it would limit the subject from the point Lakshmi Parvathi entered the leader’s life, till his death. Tamil Nadu Telugu Yuva Sakthi president Kethireddy Jagadeeshwar Reddy is also planning a biopic on NTR, titled ‘Lakshmi’s Veera Grandham.’
Actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, too, announced plans for a film on his father in association with noted director Teja, but the project is yet to take off.
And now comes another film project, titled Lakshmi Parvathi C/o Ramagopala, to be directed by Pasupuleti Venkata Ramana. The film has the tagline, ‘Vennupotu Podichavanukunnaru-Vennumukaga nilichavu’ (You were accused of being a back-stabber but you were his backbone’). Mr. Ramana claimed that the film has nothing to do with Ms. Parvathi or Mr. Varma but has their names only because these names sell.
Mr. Ramana told The Hindu: “The film is on the contribution of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is often accused of being a ‘backstabber’ by his political rivals. “We want to portray him as someone who stood by the party through its ups and downs.” Raghu Verma and Nandini Kapoor play the lead roles.
“The story revolves around the role of the media in making society strong and powerful,” Mr Ramana said. “We have six songs, one of them on the contribution of journalists.”