Murder: Ram Gopal Varma's film about Miryalaguda honour killing gets green signal from Telangana High Court

Telangana High Court has given green signal for the release of director Ram Gopal Varma’s film Murder based on honour killing.
A district court in Nalgonda had given a stay order on the movie in August after Amrutha and Pranay’s family approached the court. Balaswamy, Pranay’s father had approached the court in June and sought a ban on the film. He had stated that the film was based on the Miryalaguda honour killing case and that pictures of his son and daughter-in-law were being used without content.Two years ago, Pranay, a 24-year-old Dalit man was hacked to death by a hired killer, who was sent by his father-in-law Maruthi Rao.
But with the Telangana High Court giving clearance, RGV took to social media to make the announcement and wrote, “VERY HAPPY to inform that our good intentions of making the film MURDER has been rightly understood by the honourable COURT ..Details will be given once the order is with us ..THANKING EVERYONE.” (sic) Talking about the same in a press meet, he said, “I have always made film inspired by true incidents – be it Siva, Sarkhar or Raktha Charitra. Murder is also like that, not based on a particular incident but many instances that take place across the country.”

He also justified that he has never claimed the film to be based only on certain instances or people. “In court we made our intentions of exploring the dynamics between Indian parents and children clear, to show what makes parents take such extreme steps. Life imitates art and art imitates life, so I cannot lie and say Amrutha or Pranay have nothing to do with it even if their name hasn’t been used anywhere in the film. Theirs is not the first honour killing case in the country,” he added.
RGV is also making a film about horrific rapes taking place in Telangana in a film named Disha Encounter. Family of the Hyderabad veterinarian who was gang raped and killed in 2019 also approached Telangana High Court seeking a restraint on the film’s release in October. Talking about it, he said, “The film is sub-judicious so I cannot talk much about it. But I have the same answer to give about Disha Encounter; the film is not just based on the Disha rape and murder. The film’s title is a reference to the direction or disha society is taking when it comes to violence against women. I will even promise on Tirupati Balaji.”
Murder sees Srikanth Ayyangar, Sahithi and Gayatri Bhargavi in the lead roles. RGV is yet to announce if the film will hit theatre or OTT.