Miles from Home @ Home

Chapter - Green Tea

It was a cloudy and dull October morning. Preparations were at peak in the house. I was poked persistently, until I finally gave in and woke up at 6:15. All the rooms were brightly lit as if it were going to be night in a while. Women in the house were busy making hot and sweet savories – Putharekulu (thin wafer type sweet savory), Bobbatlu (sweet parathas)and Jantikalu (Khara) and men were busy discussing something very important! I was given a tumbler full of Harlicks (that’s Horlicks, by the way) because it is supposed to be good for growing children. I wondered if I really was one at 24!

Life in a village is so different and amusing that you just cannot afford to miss a chance that takes you there. I visited my grandparents after nearly fifteen years. The last time I saw them was on my eighth birthday, the day before we had left for Canada. ........

పెద్దోళ్ళు - గట్టోళ్ళు

మనం ఎప్పుడూ పెద్దవాళ్ళని, ముసలి వాళ్ళని చాదస్తపరులు అనుకుంటూ ఉంటాం. వాళ్ళని విసుక్కునే, తిట్టుకునే సందర్భాలూ ఉంటూనే ఉంటాయి. కానీ, వాళ్ళ మాటల్లో ఒక రకమైన వినోదం ఉంటుంది. వినోదం అంటే ఇక్కడ మీరు మరొకలాగా భావించొద్దు. ఆ చాదస్తం లో వ్యంగ్యం, అమాయకత్వం, కోపం, అసహనం లాంటివి సమపాళ్ళలో ఇమిడి ఉంటాయి. వారి మాటలు అప్పుడప్పుడూ చాలా సరదాగా, నవ్వు తెప్పించేవిగా, పలు సందర్భాల్లో ఎంతో చమత్కారంగా కూడా ఉంటాయి. దీనినే ఆంగ్లం లో Pun అంటారు.

ఋతువులు ఆరు అని మనకి తెలుసు. కానీ ఈ మధ్యనే కొత్త ఋతువు ఒకటి ప్రపంచ వ్యాప్తంగా వాడుకలోకి వచ్చింది- ఐపిఎల్ ఋతువు - అదేనండీ, క్రికెట్. చాలామంది పెద్దవాళ్ళకి క్రికెట్ అంటే అస్సలు గిట్టదు. మా తాతగారు, కీ.శే. శ్రీ దశిక భాస్కర రామ్మూర్తిగారు ఇలాంటి కోవకు చెందిన వారు. ఆయన పైకి ఎంత గంభీరంగా కనిపించేవారో అంత సరదా మనిషి. టీ.వీ. లో క్రికెట్ మ్యాచ్ నడుస్తున్నంతసేపూ ఎదో ఒకటి అంటూనే వుండేవారు.

ఒక సారి మన భారత జట్టు వేరే దేశంతో ఆడుతోంది. మన బౌలింగ్ లో వాళ్ళ సారథి సిక్స్ కొట్టాడు. అప్పుడు మా తాతగారు, "ఛి ఛి, ఏవిటా బంతి? లడ్డూ తీసుకెళ్ళి చేతికిచ్చినట్టు ఇచ్చాడు." అని వ్యాఖ్యానించారు. ఆ మరుసటి ఓవర్ లో ఒక ప్రముఖ ఆల్ రౌండర్ క్యాచ్ వదిలేసినప్పుడు, "గుడ్డి వెధవ లాగా ఆ నల్ల కళ్ళద్దాలూ వాడూ!" అని అన్నారు. ఇలా అలోచిస్తుంటే మరొక సరదా సంఘటన గుర్తుకొస్తోంది.

ప్రముఖ ఆలయాల్లో పరిస్థితి ఎలా ఉంటుందో మీకు ప్రత్యేకంగా చెప్పనక్కర్లేదు. ఇటునుండి ఇలా దర్శనానికి వెళ్ళామో లేదో, అటునుండి అలా బయటకి లాగేస్తూంటారు. ఒకసారి మేము స్వామి వారి దర్శనం కోసం యాదగిరిగుట్ట వెళ్ళాము. వేసవి సెలవలు కావడంతో చాలా రద్దీగా ఉంది. గంటకు పైనే క్యూలో నిలబడి గర్భ గుడి లోనికి ప్రవేశించాము. షరా మామూలే అన్నట్టు, అక్కడ కూడా కొంతమంది భక్తులని బయటకి లాగడం, తొయ్యడం చేస్తున్నారు. దండం పెట్టుకుంటున్న మా తాతగారిని ఒక వ్యక్తి, "ఎంతసేపండీ? వెళ్ళండి వెళ్ళండి!” అన్నాడు. దానికి జవాబుగా ఆయన “ఏవిటయ్యా, దండంపెట్టుకుందామని విగ్రహంకేసి చూసినప్పుడల్లా మొహం తిప్పేస్తుంటే ఎలా?" అంటూ చమత్కరించారు.

ఇలా చెప్పుకుంటూ పోతే ఇంకెన్నో! మనం అనుకుంటాము కానీ ముసలివాళ్ళు మాటలు ఎంత కఠినంగా పలికినా అందులో ఆప్యాయత, ప్రేమ మాత్రం లేకుండా పోవు. మరి ఈ సారి వాళ్ళని విసుక్కునే ముందు ఒకటికి రెండు సార్లు ఆలోచిస్తారుగా?

This essay was published in an Australian based Telugu magazine in May 2009

Banam Review

Banam is a low budget film produced by Swapna Dutt Chalasani and directed by first timer Chaitanya Danthuluri. It also has the lead role played by debutante Nara Rohit, Andhra Pradesh’s ex-Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s brother’s son. Vedika plays the female lead. The story line is fresh unlike what we get to see these days barring a few films. Banam is technically very good with new and few stunning camera frames. Cinematography is also good and adds value to the film.

Bhagat Panigrahi (Rohit), son of naxalite Panigrahi (Sayaji Shinde) puts his heart and soul in preparing for the civil services. He finds Lakshmi (Vedika) at a railway station one day and brings her home after her father dies of heart attack and her in-laws disown her. Things turn out in such a way after her arrival that Bhagat unknowingly becomes the target of one Sakthi, a local goon. The rest of the film is all about how Bhagat realizes his dream of becoming an IPS officer while trying to clean the system from the grass root level. Chaitanya shows creativity in some places by masking the action scenes with the background drama.

Bhagat’s role is tailor-made for Rohit. The role doesn’t require a great display of histrionics. It is too early to comment on him, though he came out with a very decent performance in this film. Music by Manisharma is just adequate.

My rating for this film - ****

(* You will shoot me

** Waste of time

*** Can sit through

**** Worth watching once

***** Must watch)

My Films

I am planning to add a new column section called My Films to this blog, where I would be sharing videos of the short films or teasers that I had shot (also read involved with) or would shoot in future. Most of them could carry a message on civic issues, social issues, health etc.. Now let me see how far I can take this successfully.

Love Aaaj Kal -

Love Aaj Kal is declared a hit in Mumbai by film trade analysts. Is it that Mumbai audience has a different taste for films or is it that it has been deliberately declared a hit? Whatever it be, I did not like the film and I have a few reasons. Firstly, the film runs at a very slow pace. Secondly, the first ten minutes is made very complicated, in the sense that, the present and the past are shown back to back, compelling the audience to get confused. After something like Jab We Met, this film was quite disappointing.

Saif was good to watch, but there's nothing new from Deepika. The screenplay was complicated but Imtiaz handled it very well especially after the first 40 minutes. The film begins with a break-up between Saif and Deepika because they feel that they cannot sustain a long distance relationship. She heads for India for a career in art restoration and he stays back in London to pursue his dream of getting into Golden Gate Inc. in the US of A. Saif gets a new blonde girlfriend and Deepika dates her boss (the charming Rahul Khanna). Time and Rishi Kapoor make Saif realize that Meera (Deepika) has become an integral part in his life. He goes to Delhi to meet her and they eventually realize that they are together even after a one year break-up.

Rishi Kapoor was apt for the Sardar's role, who gives lots of gyan to Saif and narrates his own love story in a parallel track which runs in a similar fashion. There are few glitches like the episode where Meera gets married to her boss and the truth dawns upon her the very next day that she is in love with Saif. If it takes one day for her to make a decision, why couldn't she decide in the short span before her wedding?

The surprise package of the film is Neetu Kapoor's entry in the last scene as Rishi Kapoor's wife.

My rating for this film - ***
(* You will shoot me
** Waste of time
*** Can sit through
**** Worth watching once
***** Must watch)

Prayanam - A pleasant journey

Prayanam starring Manchu Manoj as Dhruv and Harika as is, is a feel good entertainer. More than 90% of the film is set in the backdrop of Kuala Lumpur airport. Dhruv and his two friends are on a holiday and plan to board a flight to Singapore. Harika is a hair stylist in Malaysia and is on her way back to Hyderabad to meet her prospective groom. The two of them meet at the airport and the next two hours show how Dhruv falls in love with Harika and tries to woo her.

Harika is expressive and perfectly fits the role. But, it was Manoj's performance that took me by surprise. I liked him for the first time in so many years with a handful of films in his list. Manoj literally lived Dhruv's role. In fact a director joked that Manoj has finally got a female fan when I told him this. :D. Brahmanandam provides comic relief as tiger man. The scenes between him and Dhruv's writer friend are funny.

Prayanam is a very light hearted film. It may not lie in the interest of those who look for a mixture of drama, action and romance.

My rating for this film - ****
(* You will shoot me
** Waste of time
*** Can sit through
**** Worth watching once
***** Must watch)

Indira, Rajiv and nobody else

Yet another monument or construction in the name of Rajiv Gandhi! I am talking about the new Bandra-Worli sea link. I hate this one thing about Congress. They behave as if there is no other person alive or dead worthy of recognition and honour in the history of pre-independent and post-independent India apart from their 'family' leaders Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Lousy self proclamation, indeed.

Rajiv Gruh Nirman, Rajiv Gandhi International airport, Indiramma gruha patakam (housing schemes in A.P.) etc. The ruling Congress party always does that. They name everything from poor people housing schemes to free ration to international airports to monuments.. everything under the sun in the name of either Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi! If they don't want to use names of prominent leaders who served from other political parties, let them not. But, at least look into your backyard. There are the likes of P.V.Narasimha Rao who certainly have some outstanding contribution to their credit. Go, get a life!

Kavya's Diary - A very old one

Telugu film Kavya's Diary is highly 'inspired' by the 1992 English flick, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, so much so that even part of the dialogues are adapted suitably. The film's dialogue 'The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world', adapted from William Ross' peom by the same name and literally translated as 'laalinche chetule prapanchanni paalistaayi', is somewhat difficult to digest.

Raj (Indrajit) and Pooja (Manjula) move into their new bungalow with their daughter Amulya a.k.a. Ammu and their toddler son. Pooja spends half of her time in the green house next to the bungalow. She files a complaint with the police against one gynaecologist, Dr. Kiran who misbehaves with her when she's pregnant with her second child. He commits suicide and his wife Maya (Charmi) vows to kill Pooja and snatch her family away from her. She enters their house as Kavya, the governess for the child. Rest of the plot is how she plans to ruin Raj and Pooja's relationship and takeover as the mother of the kids, though she is the one who gets killed in the end with the help of Raj and the care taker, Athidhi (Satyam Rajesh).

There is nothing new in this film. Everything is just neatly arranged from an already existing story to suit the taste of the Telugu audience. Guess what the creative team at Indira Productions did to back their credit for the Concept and Story of the film. Manjula's performance was neat considering her low acting profile.

My rating for this film - **
(* You will shoot me
** Waste of time
*** Can sit through
**** Worth watching once
***** Must watch)

My Book

I have seriously thought of taking the plunge and writing a book. This post will tell you what I am talking about. After a lot of brainstorming on what to write on, I finally decided that I would write about myself, my life (not that people are dying to read about me). 'Until I turned 21' is what the book will be called. It will include some fiction as well to make it more interesting and engaging for the readers. I have already written a few paragraphs. Now, let's see how long it will take for it to hit the stands, considering the speed of my work and other committments. :D

I have taken up writing full-time, almost like a second career, and who knows I might just end up making it my bread-and-butter very soon. I now write for a couple of magazines. Oh... you are already appreciating it, thanks a lot! :D

'Slumdog' Slum Kids

The 'Slumdog' kids are seen getting involved in many controversies with each taking a new turn every day. The last time we heard of them was when their houses were brought down by the railway officials because they were allegedly built on an occupied land owned by the railways. Now, the news is that these children have again set their base in the same land by building new houses.

Slumdog Millionaire might be a 'great' film having brought a couple of oscars to the country, but one thing I don't understand is that why should the actors be treated as if they have done something tremendous for the country - something that India could never think of or has been dying to feel good about. The cast of the film or particularly the slum kids Azhar and Rubina Ali have not done anything so great that people expect the government to recognize their effort and honour them with free income, a free apartment, or may be a free car too. They have just acted in a film like any any other child artiste or actor in any other film. There are many children like Azhar and Rubina who are left to their destiny to pull their lives through these slums across the country. What about them? And, they will not even get a chance to re-build their homes if demolished by the government once. Azhar and Rubina are at least lucky to have lots of support from the media and the public who think they have brought laurels to the country.