Chiranjeevi's 150th film hits writer's roadblock

HYDERABAD: Actor Chiranjeevi's 150th film has hit a road block even before the shooting has begun. The film cannot hit the floors until the story writer has been duly acknowledged and compensated for. Filmmaker and former union minister Dasari Narayana Rao, who is not on the best of terms with Chiranjeevi, also had a say in not allowing the film to take off.
The actor had waited for four years to decide on the story of his 150th film.
Chiranjeevi's proposed film is a remake of the huge Tamil hit ���Kaththi��� released in 2014. The actor had waited for four years to decide on his 150th film. The film in which Vijay played the lead role was written and director by A K Muragadoss, as per the credits for the film. The film was released on October 22, 2014 by Lyca Productions.
However, writer N Narasimha Rao approached the Telugu Film Directors Association and also the Telugu Film Writers Association claiming that the story was actually written by him and that he had also registered it with the Telugu Film Writers Association. In his complaint to the Telugu Film Directors Association and also TFWA, he said that he had narrated the story to Tamil actor Vijay who initially showed interest in it but later said he would not be able to do the film.
However, when Narasimha Rao saw the film ���Kaththi��� he realized that it was the very same story that he had narrated to Vijay. But the credit for the story was taken by A K Muragadoss.
Narasimha Rao has worked closely with well-known Tamil director Shankar for the films ���Shivaji���, ���Robot��� and ���Aparichitudu���. Narasimha Rao is currently shooting in Mysuru for his maiden directorial venture in Telugu which went on the floors on Sankranti.
���I worked on the story for five years and was naturally want justice,��� Nararasima Rao told TOI. ���I have now got information from the directors association that a letter was being sent to the workers federation not to cooperate in the making of the film,��� Narasimha Rao said. He, however, said his intention was not to stop the film from being made but get his due. ���He took up the issue with the directors association and writers association a year ago itself,��� confirmed K L Prasad, an office-bearer of the Telugu Film Writers Association.
At that time, the ���Katha Hakkuka Vedika��� of the Telugu film industry checked the story that Narasimha Rao had registered with the Telugu Film Writers Association. The 12-member committee headed by Dasari Narayana Rao also watched ���Kaththi��� and decided that the story indeed was the same. That was the reason why it was also not allowed to be dubbed into Telugu. In December, Ram Charan Tej had announced that his father Chiranjeevi's 150th film would be a remake of ���Kaththi��� and V V Vinayak would direct it. Ram Charan Tej said he would be the producer.