New row over ‘Lakshmi’s NTR’ as RGV barred from Vijayawada

Vijayawada, April 28 (IANS) In a fresh row over his movie "Lakshmi's NTR", controversial filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma was not allowed entry into Vijayawada by the city police after he threatened to address a press conference on the road.

Varma tweeted that his car was stopped and he was forced to shift to another car and was dropped at the airport. The filmmaker said the police told him that he can't enter the city. He alleged that there is no democracy in Andhra Pradesh.

RGV, as the director is popularly known, wanted to address a press conference ahead of his film's release in Andhra Pradesh on May 1. As a star hotel reportedly denied him the permission, he announced that he will address the media at NTR Circle.

The police said since prohibitory orders were in force in view of the Model Code of Conduct for ongoing Lok Sabha elections, no meeting can be allowed in public and hence they had to send the director back.

RGV is likely to address the media after reaching Hyderabad late in the evening.

His film "Lakshmi's NTR" was released in Telangana last month but the Andhra Pradesh High Court stayed its screening till the elections.

As simultaneous elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Lok Sabha were held on April 11, RGV announced plans to release the movie on May 1.

The film is about Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister 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 N. Chandrababu Naidu in August 1995. NTR died in January 1996.

Some TDP leaders had approached the court and the Election Commission to stop the screening of the movie in view of the elections as the movie projected TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in a negative light.