Congress senior leader and three-time MP V Hanumantha Rao said that the Telugu film industry was being destroyed due to directors like Ram Gopal Varma.
Rao, along with his followers, staged a dharna at the CBFC (censor board) office on Thursday demanding that the board immediately ban the
Arjun Reddy liplock wall posters.
Speaking on the occasion, VHR alleged that several film wall-posters were quite vulgar, and lashed out at the CBFC officials for that.
He also asked what they were doing when the people producing films were provoking violence in society, as an entry to hit back at Ram Gopal Varma.
The once-eminent film director had posted on Facebook on August 22, after seeing news of VHR and gang tearing up posters of the Arjun Reddy liplock earlier this week, "My request to Vijay Deverakonda is to tear off the clothes of Hanumanth Rao but my fear is children might get scared seeing HR like that."
He also posted, "I dint understand why Hanumanth Rao tore that poster..was he jealous because that beautiful girl was kissing Vijay Deverakonda or was it because HR himself would have never been kissed ? Just asking"
And, "Thathayya should ask his Manavallu and Manavarallu if they think anything is wrong with this poster ?"
And, "Thathayya, Arjun Reddy is for Manavalu and Manavaraallu and definitely not for prehistoric minded Thaatayyalu..Just chill"
Needless to say, Rao was riled. He said that the "so-called eminent director" had no shame at all, and that directors like him were destroying the moral values in the society. He expressed grave concern that directors like him may even show direct rape scenes and copulation in future, and said that he would not allow RGV to set foot in Hyderabad.
Reverting to the liplock scene in Arjun Reddy, VHR demanded that the producers remove the smooching scenes immediately. He also warned of dire consequences if the film was released with the scenes, and said that irate people would pelt stones and attack the theatres screening the film.