Sai Dharam Tej starrer Gaanja Shankar in legal trouble

The makers of Sai Dharam Tej’s upcoming film Gaanja Shankar now find themselves embroiled in legal trouble after the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TANB) issued a legal notice to the makers on Friday, expressing objection to the portrayal of drug-related activities in their film.

The TANB authorities, in an official press release, have asked the filmmakers to remove the word ‘Gaanja’ from their film title, as well as to desist having any scene where ‘consumption, sale, peddling and supply of Narcotics Ganja is glorified.’ The press release also warned of a legal action initiation if any objectionable scenes in connection to the above are found in the film.

The Gaanja Shankar teaser, which was released on October 15 last year, unravels from the viewpoint of a father who narrates to his daughter the story of a local superhero who sells ‘leafy vegetables.’ The use of certain visuals in the teaser implies that the leafy vegetables in this context refer to Narcotics (Gaanja).

The film is jointly produced by Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under the production banners of Sithara Entertainment and Fortune Four Cinemas. Written and directed by Sampath Nandi, Gaanja Shankar is presented by Srikara Studios.