Another real life pursuit from Srinivas Raju

Handling tough subjects has become a passion for director Srinivas Raju. But he maintains a calm attitude even though it requires plenty of courage to build on complex pursuits. Now, Raju has drawn motivation for his next venture from another demanding but even more sensitive issue,  the turmoil in the life of Kanchi Peetam Swamiji, Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, his arrest and the events that unfolded.

The film is to be made under his banner, and will be titled Acharya Arrest with a tagline - 'An insult to every Hindu', will be made as a bilingual in Tamil and Kannada.

Raju states that he will delve into all matters that led to the events that took place in 2004 in Tamil Nadu following the murder of Sankararaman, a temple manager and a former devotee of Kanchi mutt. "The political angle, the mysteries and rumours will all be explored," he mentions.

He elaborates that the film will revolve around the religious conspiracy and conversions, which were objected by the Swamiji. "It is a national issue and since the case is closed, I felt that the real events should be told," says Raju.

The director has been on the job over the past two years and has met various people and close aides of the Swamiji. "I have even met a person who was part of the gang who was allegedly involved in the killing of Sankararaman. I will now be meeting Jayendra Saraswathi to get his version. Why an old priest, who had renounced the world and was into charity, got dragged into a murder case and other controversies has only raised my curiosity to dig into the matter," the director says.

A major cast has been planned, and the director is in the process of approaching various stars for this film. "Dandupalya was a small example, which I had to dilute because of the nature of the crime. But this film will be based on facts. I may not prove anything, but I want to come up with the true events that took place," he says.