The controversy surrounding Telugu movie "Savitri" has gotten a new twist after filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) changed the title to "Sridevi."
Bollywood actress Sridevi's husband, producer Boney Kapoor has now sent a legal notice to RGV seeking an explanation for using his wife's name for the title of the movie without taking her consent.
After the title "Savitri" was slammed by public, RGV changed the title of the movie to "Sridevi" on 5 October. Following the change of the title, Kapoor had reportedly tried to contact RGV seeking an explanation about the title, but the latter replied with a WhatsApp text. Unconvinced, Kapoor sent a legal notice to the makers of the movie.
The producer asked RGV not to use his wife Sridevi's name as the title of his upcoming film. "The title is bound to make the public at large believe that the film is associated with Sridevi. Our client has already suffered considerable embarrassment due to the queries being raised to her regarding the title. Cease and desist from using the name," Deccan Chronicle quoted a statement from the legal notice.
The movie "Sridevi", directed by Kiran Prasad, features Anushkriti Govind Sharma in the role of a middle class housewife. On 3 October, RGV released the press note stating that his next movie was titled "Savitri" and deals with a teenager's crush on a woman older than him. He had also urged the audience to share stories of their first crush, which could be a woman next door, a sister's friend or a teacher. He also started a contest called "Who is your Savitri?".
On the same day, RGV also launched a poster of "Savitri" featuring a young boy staring at the bare mid-riff of a sari-clad woman. The poster left several women's organizations fuming and also garnered severe criticism from the moral police. The State Child Rights Protection Commission filed a suo motu against the filmmaker for the violation of child rights.
When the public raised their voice against the title "Savitri", RGV changed it to Sridevi. With actress raising objection against using her name, it remains be seen how the filmmaker will respond to her legal notice.
