Vijayawada: A case was filed against filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma at Maddipadu police station in Prakasam district on Monday.
The complaint was lodged by TDP mandal secretary Ramalingam, who alleged that Varma, popularly known as RGV, posted derogatory content on social media that tarnished the reputation of several TDP leaders, including chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, his son and IT minister Nara Lokesh and his daughter-in-law Brahmani, during the promotion of his film ‘Vyooham’.
Maddipadu SI Shiva Ramaiah said they have registered a case under the Information Technology Act — online defamation and misuse of digital platforms for spreading false information come under the Act — based on Ramalingam’s complaint and have launched an investigation into the allegations.
‘Vyooham’ was initially scheduled for release in February, but faced multiple controversies and was finally released in March, a few weeks before the 2024 elections.
The social media posts in question were part of the promotional activities for the film, which was based on the tragic death of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash in 2009 and subsequent formation of YSR Congress Party by his son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2019 to 2024.
Another film of his that triggered controversy was ‘Lakshmi’s NTR’, a film on the marriage of TDP founder and former chief minister NT Rama Rao (NTR) with Lakshmi Parvathi. During the release of the film, he was warned by TDP to refrain from targeting Naidu’s family in his films.
RGV has previously made derogatory comments against Lokesh and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, who is now the state’s deputy chief minister.
