Tollywood producer confesses links with Suri

HYDERABAD: It was a dispute over a piece of land in Madhapur that had brought producer Chillara Kalyan into contact with the slain faction leader Maddalacheruvu Suri. Kalyan was arrested a few days ago for allegedly cheating Shalimar Video Company in respect of the VCD and DVD rights of Telugu movies, Khaleja and Komaram Puli.Though the first brush proved to be a bitter experience, Kalyan and Suri became close pals later on during the making of Ramgopal Verma’s Rakta Charitra-I.Kalyan, in his confessional statement to the officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID), said that in 2007, Madhusudhan Reddy, an associate of Suri, interfered in a land dispute.“After Madhu Sudhan Reddy trespassed into my land, a complaint was lodged with the Madhapur police station. However, with the intervention of mediators, the issue was settled after it transpired that Madhu was a follower of Suri,’’ Kalyan told the officials. Verma’s Rakta Charitra I and II were produced during 2008-10.Kalyan bought the rights of their Telugu version. According to Kalyan, it was at this time that he used to meet Suri and his close associate Bhanu Kiran, prime suspect in the murder of Suri, to know about the real story behind the bitter rivaly between Suri and slain Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Paritala Ravi. “On several occasions, Suri and Bhanu accompained me and Ramgopal Verma to locations in Anantapur district while narrating the real story,’’ Kalyan told the police.However, in 2010, in-charge of Lakshmi Films Vemuri Subhash Chandra Bose approached Kalyan to settle property disputes between his two sons. At the same time, Sham Prasad, one of the sons of Bose, approached Bhanu Kiran over the same issue. It was in October 2010 that Bose, on behalf of his elder son, and Bhanu Kiran, on behalf of Sham Prasad, came to Kalyan’s office and discussed their differences over the properties and affairs of Annapurna Packaging Private Limited. During the talks, Kalyan told Bhanu Kiran that he had been Bose’s friend for 20 years and the issue should be settled.