Family members of a Hyderabad-based veterinarian, who was raped and murdered by four men last year, staged a protest outside filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma’s residence in Hyderabad on Sunday, against the release of Varma’s upcoming film Disha Encounter.
Stating that there were many similarities between the trailer of Varma’s film and the actual incident, the rape victim’s father told Tv5 mediapersons: “He has not approached us or spoken to us regarding this film. The trailer should be deleted from YouTube and the censor board should ensure that this film is not released.”
On November 27, 2019, the veterinarian was abducted by four people from a toll plaza on Outer Ring Road in Cyberabad limits. A day later, her charred body was found at an underpass in Shadnagar. On December 6, the Cyberabad police, gunned down the four accused after they allegedly attempted to flee during a reconstruction of the crime scene.
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“He has cast an actor who looks like my daughter, everything about the movie looks like it is about the incident, and despite this, he is saying it is about Disha which means a ‘path’. Do people believe that? He should tell us what the truth is,” the girl’s father told The New Minute.
The family had recently moved the Telangana High Court, seeking a ban on the film’s release. They told the court that it was highly improper to release the movie when a judicial commission by the Supreme Court was still inquiring into the case. The High Court then passed an order asking the Central government counsel to expeditiously resolve the representation, if any, made by the petitioner.
Responding to the case filed by the family, Varma tweeted on October 10 that the film’s story was “fictional” and based upon “many cases”.
With regard to speculations on DISHA ENCOUNTER film I once again want to clarify it’s a fictional story based upon many cases from Nirbhaya rape onwards https://t.co/A8Tg523SDJ
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) October 10, 2020
The trailer of Disha Encounter released on September 25. Directed by Anand Chandra, the film has been slated for a November release.