Malli Pelli in trouble? Naresh’s ex-wife Ramya Raghupathi takes to court to stall its release

Celebrity couple Naresh and Pavitra Lokesh’s film Malli Pelli, written and directed by MS Raju, is slated to hit screens worldwide in Telugu and Kannada tomorrow. The film is expected to be a semi-realistic take on the series of controversies prior to the marriage of the film’s lead actors and their ugly fiasco with Ramya Raghupathi (former wife of Naresh) that went public.

While the actors and the director have constantly denied that the film is based on real incidents, the promos leave nothing to the imagination. Vanitha Vijaykumar is cast in a role loosely based on Naresh’s ex-wife Ramya Raghupathi. Just when the going looked smooth for the film to hit screens tomorrow, Ramya is believed to have approached the court to stall its release.

Reports confirm she has approached the Kukatpally family court this morning, claiming that the film intentionally defames her while filing a petition to halt its release plans. Naresh, Pavitra Lokesh were unavailable to comment on the issue. Jayasudha, Sarath Babu, Madhoo, Ananya Nagalla, Annapurnamma, Roshan and others to play important roles in the relationship drama.

Malli Pelli, which has cinematography by Bal Reddy, is edited by Junaid Siddique. Arul Dev and Harshavardhan Rameshwar have scored the music for the drama which went on floors this January. Naresh and Pavitra Lokesh’s earlier film together Andaru Bagundali Andulo Nenundali, produced by Ali, opted for a direct-to-OTT release on aha.

Naresh is a half-brother to Mahesh Babu and the son of noted actress, director and producer Vijaya Nirmala. Pavitra Lokesh, who has been in the industry for over two decades, is immensely popular in Kannada cinema as well. Malli Pelli’s Kannada version is titled Matthe Madhuve. The pre-release event of the drama was held last Sunday.