Film Producer defends song in NTR biopic

Hyderabad: “It is for history to decide that as to whether Nara Chandrababu Naidu was the main conspirator for the downfall of N.T. Rama Rao or not,” submitted P. Rakesh Reddy, the film producer of the Lakshmi’s NTR to the Telangana High Court in a counter affidavit after it asked for his explanation on the picturisation of a song in that film.

On explanation about the song titled Daga Daga Kutra which was alleged that the song pictured Mr Naidu as the conspirator behind the fall of Late NTR, the producer submitted that the song was penned many years ago and he used that song in his biopic on the life of NTR. Further, he submitted that Article 19 of the Constitution enables him enough elbow room to produce a biopic.

While hearing of the PIL by TD MLA S.V.S.N. Varma seeking deletion of the song from YouTube and other social media, the bench had directed the producer to file a counter affidavit on issues raised by the petitioner.

In the counter-affidavit, Mr Rakesh Reddy submitted that filing of a PIL on a personal interest should not be maintained as it appears as proxy litigation. “If the character of anybody has been assassinated, it is for that to move the court by filing a civil suit or criminal defamation,” he added.