Real story behind the Indira Gandhi-NTR cut-out scene

On seeing NT Rama Rao’s larger-than-life cut-out in the Trailer for ‘NTR: Mahanayakudu’, Indira Gandhi reverently folds her hands.  The Prime Minister of India adds, ‘Jai Sri Krishna’.  An official sitting next to her in the car is puzzled.  He tells the Congress party leader that she has worshipped her political opponent.  

This scene from the NTR biopic is said to be Krish Jagarlamudi’s innovation.  A report says that the original version was more dramatic and creative.

The biopic’s script was written originally by Dr. L Srikanth, who wrote the entire story as a single-part biopic.  In his script, the very first scene was this: A powerful woman (Indira) walks towards a convoy of cars.  Everyone from political minions to bureaucrats show their reverence by bending before her.  After she gets into her car, the woman happens to see a large cut-out at a distance.  She involuntarily folds her hands, thinking that it’s a God’s image.  When the official tells her that it’s that very ‘God’ whom she is going to speak against at a political rally, Indira shows surprise.  “He is NTR.  He is the Demigod of the masses,” the official continues.  After this splendid elevation, the actual film begins as a flashback.  Balakrishna (NTR) is introduced as an ordinary man who had humble beginnings.

Since Krish made the film into two parts, he changed the first scene totally.  So, we saw Basavatharakam (Vidya Balan) remembering the flashback in a hospital.  This tweaked version was inspired by ‘Mahanati’.  Perhaps, the original version would have been way better. 

Also, logically speaking, Indira already knows NTR personally, having met him during the Padma Shri ceremony (read the scene involving Balakrishna, Sumanth in the first part).  As such, it doesn’t make sense that she behaves as if she never saw NTR before when she sees the cut-out in ‘NTR: Mahanayakudu’.