Bangalore, Apr 23, (PTI): A local court today extended its interim stay on the release of a Kannada film allegedly being made on the life of self-styled godman Paramhamsa Nithyananda, while permitting its producer to continue shooting upon an undertaking that the movie would steer clear of Nityananda.

The film's producer, Madan Patel alias Madana Mallu, submitted in the city civil court that he had no intention of depicting Nithyananda in his film.

Following the producer's undertaking, the court extended the interim stay it recently granted on the release of the film while permitting Patel to continue shooting only to the extent the movie steers clear of Nithyananda and involves no events from his life.

Nithyanada had filed a defamation suit against Patel charging him with "falsely depicting his life and indulging in character assassination".

Nithyananda landed in controversy in March last year after a local television channel aired a purported video footage showing him in a compromising position with a Tamil actress. He was subsequently arrested in Solan district in Himachal Pradesh on April 21.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a chargesheet against Nithyananda and four of his associates for rape and unnatural sex.