Election Commission asks Ram Gopal Varma not to release NTR biopic

The Election Commission (EC) asked Tuesday filmmaker Ramgopal Varma Tuesday not to release 'Laxmi's NTR', a biopic on the life of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N T Rama, reiterating its April 10 order.

The movie was scheduled to be released on May 1, but State Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi told Varma that the movie should not be released till the model code of conduct was in force.

Dwivedi cited the EC's April 10 order related to movies on political leaders.

The EC had on April 10 ordered the producers of 'Laxmi's NTR' and 'Udyama Simham', a biopic on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, not to release the movies till further orders.

It had said that any biopic material in the nature of biography/hagiography sub-serving the purpose of any political entity or an individual entity connected to it, which is intended to, or which has the potential to disturb the level playing field during the elections should not be displayed in electronic media including cinematography during the operation of Model Code of Conduct.