Desperate Tollywood director threatens to commit suicide

HYDERABAD: Charging that his film was not being cleared by the censor authorities, a debutantTollywood director threatened to commit suicide in front of the office of the Central Board of Film Certification at Masab Tank here on Friday.
Nampally police said director Durga Prasad came to the Masab Tank office of the Censor Board and created a scene by threatening to commit suicide by setting himself ablaze if his movie 'Love Poison' was not given the censor certificate.
"Durga Prasad came with a petrol bottle and threatened to set himself ablaze as the officials were taking undue time in giving censor certificate. Durga Prasad said he would become a pauper if his movie was not given clearance," Nampally inspector Ch Sridhar told TOI.
When police were alerted about Durga Prasad's attempt to commit suicide at the office, they swung into action and took Durga Prasad away. However, police let him off after questioning him for a brief period. It is learnt that Durga Prasad had been moving from pillar to post to get the clearance certificate for his movie from the officials of the Board as it refused to give the certificate for his film because of its content. Durga Prasad told TOI that he was informed by the Censor Board authorities that he had to delete some scenes in the movie. "Even after deleting the scenes and submitting the film again they said they would not clear my film," he said, adding that he had no other option other than suicide.
Prasad said he had made the film with a budget of Rs 50 lakh and that he would suffer huge financial loss and run into problems if his film did not get a censor certificate. Later in the evening, he was informed by the Board authorities that his film would be watched again on February 18.