Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma Faces Legal Action Over Alleged Derogatory Posts on Naidu Family
Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh – A case has been registered against controversial filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, popularly known as RGV, for allegedly making derogatory social media posts about the family of former Leader of Opposition Chandrababu Naidu. The case was filed at Maddipadu Police Station in Prakasam district, following a complaint by Ramalingam, Mandal Parishad Secretary and leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
According to the complaint, Varma’s posts, which were reportedly shared last year during the promotion of his film Vyuham, contained defamatory comments aimed at Chandrababu Naidu, his son and state minister Nara Lokesh, and his daughter-in-law Brahmini. The filmmaker’s comments reportedly came in the context of promoting a film depicting significant political events in Andhra Pradesh, including the tragic 2009 helicopter crash that claimed the life of then-Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and the subsequent rise of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
RGV, known for his affiliation with the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), has often been critical of Chandrababu Naidu and has previously explored Naidu’s political history in his films, such as Lakshmi’s NTR. This film portrayed a contentious chapter in TDP history, focusing on Naidu’s controversial takeover as Chief Minister following a revolt against TDP founder N. T. Rama Rao in 1995.
The recent complaint against Varma arrives as Andhra Pradesh’s new coalition government, comprised of TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP, cracks down on social media commentary targeting their leaders. The move is part of a larger effort that has led to arrests of YSRCP members and supporters accused of making inflammatory remarks when their party was in power.
In a related incident last year, Varma filed a complaint against activist Kolikapudi Sreenivas Rao, who allegedly incited violence by offering a cash bounty on the director’s head. RGV claimed that media channels aligned with TDP amplified such threats, intensifying tensions. The filmmaker also criticized leaders like Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, who staged protests outside his Hyderabad office around the release of Vyuham.
As the police begin their investigation, Varma’s legal battles spotlight the friction between free expression and alleged defamation in the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh.
