Ramu buckles under Maria's pressure

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Mumbai: The release of Not A Love Story is barely a week away and there's still no respite for director Ram Gopal Varma.

The director, whose film is inspired by the Neeraj Grover murder case, is yet to get the certification from the Censor Board to make the prints and dispatch them in time for release.

Now buzz is that he has re-edited some controversial scenes after receiving notices from Maria Susairaj and Emile Jerome Matthew, convicted in the May 2008 killing.

Not surprisingly, Maria and Jerome have also sent their respective notices to the Board.

"Since Not A Love Story is yet to get a clearance from the Censor Board, Ramu can't let anything jeopardise the release next Friday," said a source.

"He doesn't want any 'going back and forth' like it happened before getting the trailers cleared last month for promotions on satellite television. So he's keeping ready a copy of the film with the controversial scenes toned down," added the source. On his part, Varma said that the censorship "will happen by Saturday."

As for the notices he's got from Maria and Jerome, he maintained, "Our lawyers are in the process of replying to the notices."

Predictably, the filmmaker seems to have no intention of showing Not A Love Story to either of the accused.

Our source explained, "Had they requested to see the movie, Ramu would have considered. But since they have threatened him with legal notices, he's firm on not hosting any screening for them."

Varma had denied re-editing the movie after the notices. "It's an inspired story," reiterated the director who shot most of the film at Dheeraj Solitaire in Malad where the Neeraj Grover murder took place.