'Puli, Khaleja' distributor commits suicide

A film distributor, who had lost Rs 9.40 lakh on Monday, committed suicide by hanging himself from a fan at his office at Amaravathi Road in Guntur on Tuesday.

According to police sources, film distributor Nadendla Venkateswara Rao, was mentally disturbed after losing Rs 9.40 lakh cash near Sangam theatre in Chirala in Prakasam district. He had come from Chirala to deposit the money in a bank. The money is believed to have been brought along with him to buy prints of the movies ‘Komaram Puli’ and ‘Khaleja’.

Mr Venkateswara Rao, who was in the film distribution business for more than 30 years, had taken five theatres on lease in Prakasam district.

The exact details of how the money was stolen from him are still unclear. He had filed a complaint with the Chirala police over the theft and a case had been registered on Monday.

Police believe that Mr Venkateswara Rao might have committed suicide as he was troubled after leasing the theatres and had no money to buy the prints of Pawan Kalyan’s Komarum Puli and Khaleja in these theatres.

Mr Venkateswara Rao had earlier suffered losses in his business after some of the film rights he had bought did not do well at the box-office.