Actor Vani Vishwanath, who had acted with N.T. Rama Rao in the 1992 film, Samrat Ashok, on Friday urged filmmaker Ramgopal Varma to drop his plans to make ‘Lakshmi’s NTR’, a biopic on the legendary actor and former Chief Minister, and, thereby, “honour” the feelings of crores of his fans.
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Vishwanath, who claimed her maternal ancestry to Nagari town and expressed her urge to contest from the Nagari Assembly constituency on behalf of the TDP, said: “I feel it genuine to request Ramgopal Varma to drop the project. NTR’s life is just not ordinary, and it is linked with the ocean of his fans.”
“The image of NTR would just conjure up Lord Rama and Lord Krishna in the minds of crores of Telugu people and his admirers all over India and world. He is history himself, having ushered in an epoch in the film world and politics as well. I feel the film, targeting NTR personally, would damage his image, and also hurt the sentiments of his fans,” she said.
Ms. Vishwanath said she was only making a humble request to RGV to drop the plan. “If he goes ahead with it, and if any damage is done to NTR’s image, I would be in the forefront of protest against RGV, right in front of his house, along with the fans,” she added.
Ms. Viswanath said she had seen Lakshmi Parvati for the first time in 1992.
“When I was on the sets of ‘Samrat Ashok’, NTR himself brought Ms. Parvati with him and introduced her to me. Later, when the TDP returned to power in mid-90s, I went to NTR’s house and met the couple,” she said.
When asked whether she had any apprehensions about the biopic doing any political harm to the TDP in the ensuing elections, she observed: “nothing like that.”
“The TDP founded by NTR is like an inferno. Everyone knows the power of ‘agni’. None can destroy fire,” she said.
When asked about her claim for Nagari Assembly ticket, Ms. Viswanath said her father, a popular astrologer, was in Tiruttani, about 10 km from Nagari, and my maternal ancestors stayed for long in Nagari.
“Several friends of our family are still in touch with us,” she said.
