STOP RELEASE OF SYE RAA, HC ASKED

Ram Charan promised `20 crore, gave `25,000 so far, says Uyyalawada heirs.

A petition has been filed before the Telangana High Court on Tuesday seeking to direct the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) not to issue a censor certificate to the biopic, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy starring K. Chiranjeevi and Amitabh Bachhan, scheduled for release worldwide on October 2, 2019.

Doravari Dastagiri Reddy and others, residents from Uyyalawada area in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, who claimed to be “family members and legal heirs of freedom fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy” filed a petition alleging that producers of the film failed to keep promises made to provide all regal (royalty) claim for use of their family history, house and other articles for the film before release of its trailer.

The petition argued that all 22 persons who are legal heirs of late Narasimha Reddy have met K. Ram Charan, the film’s producer, actor and son of Chiranjeevi, at his residence in the city on August 20 last year, when he had verbally promised them to provide royalty fixed at 10 per cent of the film’s cost, which at the reported estimated cost of the film being `200 crore, works to `20 crore. However, they were given only `25,000 towards travel expenses.

Afterwards, the producer and others refused to meet them, when approached, and were whisked away sent with the help of police and threatened with dire consequences if they returned. Citing rules of Cinematography Act, 1952, the petitioners said that it was illegal to make a biopic without the consent of legal heirs.

The petitioners have named the State principal secretary, home, the chairperson to CBFC, Ram Charan, director P. Surender Reddy, Chiranjeevi, Amitabh Bachhan and others as respondents.

THE PETITION argued that the legal heirs of late Narasimha Reddy have met K. Ram Charan, the film’s producer, at his residence in the city on August 20 last year, when he had verbally promised them to provide royalty fixed at 10% of the film’s cost, which at the reported estimated cost of the film being `200 crore, works to `20 crore