"By the time I finished Rakta Charitra , the reality became a film for me and now this incident jolted me back into reality. It's shocking to see a person with whom I have been interacting with for over a year for research of the movie just lying there still and lifeless," Varma posted on his Twitter page Tuesday.

Varma visited Anantapur jail in 2009 to meet Suri before producing Rakta Charitra , a two-part series based on the rivalry between Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Paritala Ravi and Suri. Suri was a key accused in Paritala Ravi's murder in 2005.

Rakta Charitra was released in October, and its sequel Rakta Charitra II hit the screens last month. In fact, Suri even visited Bangalore last month to watch the preview of Rakta Charitra II and was satisfied with the way he was portrayed in the movie (less)

But the filmmaker says that the premiere is an attempt to pacify those who claim that the film demonises the son-of-the-soil. When asked whether it is another publicity stunt from his stable, Varma did not flinch before answering in the affirmative.

"Ofcourse it is a publicity stunt, everything I do, I do it for publicity. I am in the business of making films and films need publicity," the filmmaker told PTI.

The town will resemble a fortress on October 21 when the director and his starcast Vivek Oberoi, Suriya and Padmapriya descend on the hostile town for the premiere. "The people who have problems with the content of the film need to come and watch it, so that they realise that the rumours are untrue.

It's their story, the movie is about them and therefore the premiere has to be held in Anantapur," said Varma. The crew had faced protests when they arrived to shoot in Andhra Pradesh and trouble is anticipated during the premiere.

The producers of the film have reportedly ordered a 3-cordon security for Varma, Vivek and the team. The posters of Rakta Charitra too had irked the Censors with a quote attributed to the Mahabharata, "Revenge is the purest emotion," at the centre of the debate.

"Yes censors in Mumbai and Hyderabad had issues with the quote. Work is still in progress over that debate.

Let's see what happens," said Varma. This is not the first time the maverick filmmaker is at the centre of a controversy.

To promote his 2009 thriller Agyaat , he had hung dummies of dead bodies over the film's posters on the busy highways of Mumbai, causing an uproar. He had also faced flak from the censor board earlier for tampering with the lyrics of the national anthem for his film Rann , which explored the nexus between media and politicians.

But Varma, says that it is the media, not him that creates controversies. "I just do things for attention, the media makes news and controversies out of them," said the filmmaker.

True to his style, his next film too is sure to grab headlines, a bio-pic of Swami Nityanand, who had shot to international infamy post a sex tape scandal. Meanwhile Varma, who has not had a single hit in the past years, is keeping his fingers crossed for Rakta Charitra which will be released in two installments.

The first part releases on October 22 and the second half will hit theatres on Nov 19 (less)

But the filmmaker says that the premiere is an attempt to pacify those who claim that the film demonises the son-of-the-soil. When asked whether it is another publicity stunt from his stable, Varma did not flinch before answering in the affirmative.

"Ofcourse it is a publicity stunt, everything I do, I do it for publicity. I am in the business of making films and films need publicity," the filmmaker told PTI.

The town will resemble a fortress on October 21 when the director and his starcast Vivek Oberoi, Suriya and Padmapriya descend on the hostile town for the premiere. "The people who have problems with the content of the film need to come and watch it, so that they realise that the rumours are untrue.

It's their story, the movie is about them and therefore the premiere has to be held in Anantapur," said Varma. The crew had faced protests when they arrived to shoot in Andhra Pradesh and trouble is anticipated during the premiere.

The producers of the film have reportedly ordered a 3-cordon security for Varma, Vivek and the team. The posters of Rakta Charitra too had irked the Censors with a quote attributed to the Mahabharata, "Revenge is the purest emotion," at the centre of the debate.

"Yes censors in Mumbai and Hyderabad had issues with the quote. Work is still in progress over that debate.

Let's see what happens," said Varma. This is not the first time the maverick filmmaker is at the centre of a controversy.

To promote his 2009 thriller Agyaat , he had hung dummies of dead bodies over the film's posters on the busy highways of Mumbai, causing an uproar. He had also faced flak from the censor board earlier for tampering with the lyrics of the national anthem for his film Rann , which explored the nexus between media and politicians.

But Varma, says that it is the media, not him that creates controversies. "I just do things for attention, the media makes news and controversies out of them," said the filmmaker.

True to his style, his next film too is sure to grab headlines, a bio-pic of Swami Nityanand, who had shot to international infamy post a sex tape scandal. Meanwhile Varma, who has not had a single hit in the past years, is keeping his fingers crossed for Rakta Charitra which will be released in two installments.

The first part releases on October 22 and the second half will hit theatres on Nov 19 (less)

On August 1, we brought you the story behind the very public and acrimonious fallout between Devendra Ahuja, promoter of Centurion Bank and MD of 20th Century Finance company, and his son Vikram. Vikram had accused his 74-year-old father — who had moved out of his family home and moved in with his girlfriend in 1996 — of being biased towards his sister Tania and brother-in-law Bobby Deol.

The flurry of complaints and counter-complaints over 14 long years saw father and son pitted in a no-holds barred battle. While Ahuja cut out Vikram from his home, business and life, Vikram accused Tania and Bobby of trying to influence his father into investing in Bobby’s flagging career.

The feud took an unexpected turn on Friday with Dev Ahuja’s sudden death. Vikram was told in no uncertain terms that he would not be permitted to perform the last rites of his dead father.

Instead, Bobby was asked to step in and do the needful. A friend of Vikram, who had access to the developments, comments, “Mr Ahuja’s close friend, Ravi Kiran Agarwal (Chairman, Orbit Communications) had taken complete charge of the funeral arrangements.

Tania was constantly by his side. Vikram even hugged her and the two broke down, but that did not change the decision.

” “Dev was told by one of his uncles that Agarwal and Tania did not want him to perform the last rites of his father. This goes completely against the Hindu tradition,” added the friend.

A family friend claims that the news of Ahuja’s demise was conveyed to Vikram nearly 45 minutes after it happened. “Vikram was not told about his father’s cardiac arrest on August 20.

And when he rushed to the hospital all formalities had been completed and the body was being taken to the morgue, where it was kept till yesterday morning for Bobby to return from his film shoot in Toronto.” At his father’s apartment in NCPA building – where Tania’s name had recently been added to the nameplate alongside Ahuja’s – the presence of three armed guards at the door prompted Vikram to turn back.

On Saturday, Vikram managed to get into his father’s house, where a relative allegedly told him that keeping him in the dark about his father’s cardiac arrest and death was allegedly his sister’s and Agarwal’s decision. On Sunday, at the Chandanwadi crematorium, Vikram was once again greeted by armed guards and cops, prompting him to leave without paying his last respects to his father.

When contacted, Vikram said, “Please leave me alone. I don’t want to talk about this.

” But when we probed further, he said, “I am devastated. I was told by one of my uncles that it was on Agarwal and my sister Tania’s insistence that I was not allowed to perform my father’s last rites.

We may have had professional differences, but never personal. He was my father and I loved him dearly.

” When contacted, Agarwal said, “Who am I to decide whether Vikram should be allowed to perform the last rites of my friend Dev? Dev’s will clearly reads that Vikram should not touch his body when he is no more. Vikram is responsible for his father’s death.

He tortured him mentally.” Despite a text message, Tania remained unavailable for comment (less)