Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma firmly refused to show his soon-to-be released movie Not A Love Story, based on the gruesome murder of Neeraj Grover, to Kannada actress Maria Susairaj, who recently walked free in the case after serving three years behind the bars.
Directed by Varma,Not a Love Story is a crime thriller, said to be inspired by the television executive's killing in 2008.
Maria, who was found guilty of disposing the body of Grover along with her fiance Emile Jerome, had yesterday sent a legal notice to Varma saying that he did not have right to release a film based on her life without her consent.
However, RGV has categorically refused to show her the film.
"I will not show my film to Maria as I have repeatedly said that my film is just inspired by the incident and not completely based on her. There are so many differences in the film from the real life incident," Varma said.
"My heroine is not a South Indian actress and her fiancee is not in Navy as in real case. Also, the film is just an interpretation of what could have happened and not a reporting on what actually happened. No one was there to know what the reality is. This is not her story and I am not showing the film to her," he said.
Meanwhile, Maria's lawyer, Sherif Sheikh, told PTI, "We have asked him to show the film before the release. If he does not we will file a suit and the court will decide whether the movie can be released or not."
Grover was stabbed to death by Jerome at Maria's flat here on May 7, 2008 following a fight. The duo had then allegedly chopped his body into pieces and disposed it off at Manor jungles on the city outskirts.
The film starring Mahie Gill, Deepak Dobriyal and Ajay Gehi in pivotal roles, releases on August 19.
Earlier, Varma had expressed his desire to cast Maria in his next film saying that the Kannada actress has been absolved of murder charges in the murder case.
"Maria Susairaj wanted to become famous as an actress and she became famous as a murderess... If things went well it could have been a Rangeela for her. Now that she has been released I want to sign Maria Susairaj for a film," Varma had written on Twitter, on July 1.
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