Case filed in High Court seeking to halt Sye Raa release

Hyderabad: Controversies continue to plague Tollywood megastar, Chiranjeevi's 'Sye Raa' with the latest being a filing of a case in the Telangana High Court on Tuesday. The case filed by Doravari Dastagiri Reddy and others, claim themselves as family members/legal heirs of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, a freedom fighter from Uyyalawada village in Kurnool district, on whose life the film is based.

The petitioners sought direction from the Court to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) not to issue a censor certificate to the biopic film "Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy", starring Chiranjeevi and Amitabh Bachhan, until producers obtain the consent of the legal heirs with the preview of the entire feature film. As it is known, the film is scheduled for worldwide release on Oct 2, 2019. The legal heirs filed a complaint earlier with the Jubilee Hills Police Station against Chiranjeevi and his son Ram Charan, citing that they were scammed after the two promised to offer a share of the movie's earnings to them.

The petitioners, in their petition, have stated that all the 22 persons who are legal heirs of late the Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy met film producer and actor Ram Charan at the latter's residence in the city on August 20 last year. The latter had verbally promised to provide all regal (royalty) claim for use of their family history, house and other articles for the biopic film, before the theatrical trailer.

In March 2019, the producer summoned all the legal heirs to his residence in Hyderabad and gave them Rs 25,000 towards travel expenses. They were promised that 10 per cent of the cost of film will be paid to them as royalty and believing the words of the producer and film unit, the family members signed a bond. However, the producer and Chiranjeevi and Ramcharan refused to meet them when they visited their place. They were sent away by threatening them with police involvement. It is clear that the producer duped all of them with a false promise.

The petitioners contended that without the consent of the legal heirs, making the said film was against the Cinematography Act, 1952. Miscarriage of the real story must be censored prior to the film release, they added and sought the Court's directions to the authorities concerned not to issue a censor certificate without considering the sentiments of the legal heirs. The case is likely to be taken up on Wednesday.