Simply Sree...

Chinnaari Chitti Mutyamaa...

2012-02-14T16:47:00.001+05:30

Bulli Trukkaay,

I love you bangaarayya, andari kante ekkuva... nuvvante naaku ento ittam :)... iiiiiiiiiiiiiiintthhha itttam :). Happy Valentines Day gundappadam!

Boldu rojulani ninchi neeku oka pedda uttaram raayalani undi, ededo raaseyyaali.. uhhuu.. uuhhuu.. ippudu neeku artham kaadu kaabatti cheppinaa edo amma mogutundile anukuni madhya madhyalo muddulu pettukuntoo illantaa tirigi gantulu vesukuntoo veltaav kaabatti, anukunnadi neeku cheraali ante ippudu raasukuni uha telisaaka mallee mallee veera baadudu sessions pedataanu annamaata :).

Computer screen meeda nalakalagaaa modalu pettaanu ninnu choodatam, rendu arachetullo ettukunnaanu.. annee ninna monna laagane unnaay, ippudu chooste naalo sagam kante ettu aipoyi chengu chengu mantu ledi pillalaaga tirugutunnaav, kaalam etu egiripoyindi chittodaa? muddu muddu maatala mucchata teerane ledu appude anni spashtamgaa cheppestunnaav entraa idi?

Enno cheppaali anukuntoone velakattaleni paathaalu nee ninchi nerchukuntunnaanu. Nee prati kadalika naakoka vinta, acchata mucchata. Nee prati adugu naakoka kotta daari choopedutundi. Puttagaane ammo penchagalana, ee pasiguddini emi chesukonu, ela choodanu ani bembelu padipoyaanu kaani, enchakkaa neeku kaavalasinavi naaku teliselaa chesi, eppudu elaanti ibbandi raakundaa.. arey nene penchesaana, pillalni penchatam inta telikaa anukunelaaga chesesaav.. edo maaya chesesaav.

Nenu pakkaki tirigi naligipotaavemo, nenu ninnu ettukuni padipotaanemo, mancham meeda ninchi dollipotaavemo, paalu saripotunnaayo ledo, aaharam saripotundo ledo, sarigga perugutunnaavo ledo.. chuttu unde pillalu boddugaa undi nuvvu sannagaa unte adoka benga, pallu raakapote oka badha, vastoo vastoo avi ninnu pette baadha choosi inko baadha, paakadam raaledu ani oka benga, vacchaaka etu vellipotaavo ani inko benga... nadavtledentra, kaali balam chaalatleda ani oka bhayam, nadaka saagaaka dhabee dhabee ani padipotunte hadilipoyenta bhayam.. prati adugulo, prati malupulo enno bhayaalu...gandaala gundam daatinattu prati saree oopiri peelchukovadam antalo kotta bhayam.. anneee kevalam nee bhayalenamma antoo abhaya hastam istunnattugaa nuvvu mundukellipovadam... edo ilaa picchi picchigaa penchesaanu raa kannalu.. nenu penchaanu anatam kante nuvvu perigipoyaavu anatam correctemo.

Enno vishayaalu neekelaa cheppaalo antoo nenu tarjana bharjanalu padelopu adi ento saamanyamaina vishayamgaa teesukuni telusukuntaavu.. Chaavu ante ento, aa bhayam ento aa baadha ento neeku teliyadu, pattadu kaani adi okati undi ani, vaallu tirigi raarani artham ayyindi... elaa cheppaala, emi bhayapadipotaava ani nenu alochinchinde ekkuva, adedo saamaanyamaina vishayam neeku.. annee kottagaa nerchukuntunnaa idi kooda kotta vishayam annatlu unnaavu.

Prema gurinchi neeku cheppalsindi ledu nerchukovadam tappa.. prapamchamlo prati daanni anta premato choodatam kevalam pasi biddalaki maatrame saadhyamavutundemo. Egire pakshi, paake purugu, kukka pilla, kodi pilla, aavulu, doodalu, gedalu, chetlu, aakulu, poolu, eegalu, domalu manishi andaru samaaname, andaru okate.. pasitanamlo inta kalmasham lenitanam ninchi ee naadu ee kullu, kasi, kutralu kutantraalu, ekkada alavadutunanayo manaki...

entoraa ee madhya englishlo raaddamante akkada maatalu raatledu, telugu raaddamante adi kooda raatledu, gundenindaa prema gontu daati raavadam kashtame kaani maree inta kashtama... ento!!!!

I used to think loving yourself is like a sin, you need to love everyone else around you or at least show that you do not to be tagged selfish.. but my love, you need to love yourself first to be able to enjoy this world. Love and respect yourself 'cos if you don't you cannot expect others to do the same to you. Rise in your own eyes to raise in other's. Be confident about everything but just do not let it go to your head. Find love in small things of life and they will keep you going no matter what. Little desires, tiny pleasures give you the greatest and continuous joys of life. Aim high, keep your focus at a level above what you are currently but do not forget to feel the moment. Love everything and every one but do not have expectations on anything/one other than yourself... tamaraaku meeda neeti bottu antaare alaaaga. Neeku cheppestunna kadaa nenu anni chestunnaana anukuntunnaav kadoo... ledu bangaaram, paatinchaka nenu pade badha neeku raakoodadu ani oka verri prayatnam.

These days I just seem to be barking at you that does not mean that I do not love you, it only means that I am a person with so many imperfections and not able to control my anger. I feel terrible when I just yell at you and the only reason for that is you are the next most helpless person other than me in that particular situation and it is easier to vent it on you. I know it is the worst form of an abuse I can subject you to.. I am working on it kid, just not getting there.. sorry with all my heart. It is easier to preach as an outsider as to how not to raise voice in front of your kids, worse still on them.. yes, agreed but still that just is not an excuse!! You are the most precious thing to me and no matter what might slip out of my mouth in anger and rage in my even though rare but i-don't-know-what-I-say bouts, it is not your fault and it is just my problem that I need to tackle. You are loved just the same..

When I see you battle with your sickness, refusing not to take any medicines, it kind of kills me. I know it is most certainly not easy for you, burning with fever, tearing your tiny inner organs with that damn dirty barking cough, puking your guts out literally not retaining anything in, it is like putting me through hell and trust me my love these are the times when WHY NOT ME comes in. From a stage of why me??? bickering.. I am willing to bear it thousand times over if it soothes you, but my darling this is the reality of life and you need to fight your own battles. I used to do wish your pains on me earlier but now I realize I must pray for you to have the strength to overcome the difficulties than not to have them at all. If we need to bear the weight anyways at any stage, even if it is a bit later rather than wishing off the weight I would wish for you to have broader shoulders and a greater strength to carry the burden and not feel the load.

I wish and hope you spread love and cheer everywhere you go always just the way you do now and you understand the power of giving. Love yourself and not be ashamed of it. Love everything that belongs to you with the same intensity and do not forget that every single things Universe has to offer you belongs to you.. the air, water, all the elements, life around you in all forms, breeds, species, shapes, sizes and colors. You have an equal share with everyone else around you, use resources sparingly and caringly and send them forward the generation next.

Abbo chaala preaching aipoyindi kada.. mana bhashalo malli okasaari... nuvvante naakento ittam, nenu ninnu vadili ekkadiki vellanu, nee chuttoone, nee lone, nee tone eppudu untaanu bangaaram...ottesi cheptunnaa!!

Amma...

Idee Naa Kadha - Mallemaala (MS Reddy)

2012-02-07T14:50:00.001+05:30

Actually, I read this book while watching over my sick kid. She had high fevers and kind of did a night out watching her over and this book came handy. In fact this is my first read in the Ipad and I really appreciated reading in that!!

She has been feeling terrible, cough, cold, vomiting phlegm and making all the mess only a kid can make in a minute and then once done with her round of vomit and stuff, she is back to playing even with high fever.. sigh!!

I came to know about this book through the controversy it created actually. As usual the media created hype about the content and all. I tried various sources of my usual book buying centers and online book stores but they were banned or something and I could not even get them for a higher price. At one point, the crazy me thought of hunting down his home address and getting a copy of it and questioning the author a bit but unfortunately the golden oldie took a leave from this world before I could do that. I am not a big e-book reading type of a person, so did not even try searching for one, then suddenly found the link on a blogging buddy's FB profile and promptly downloaded it on the Ipad and finished it.

Having known MS Reddy earlier through some film functions and having heard him speak, the book did not come as a surprise but what left me wondering was the book only dealt with NTR and Sobhan Babu no mention about ANR family, to an extent Krishna but no other major stars of those days... !

I truly feel the book is from his heart. In this world of distracted biographies, I really do not mind reading it. I do not consider them facts and facts only but I certainly will not rubbish them either. He does a bit of a self-praise... err lots of it actually and criticizes every one equally including his own family and son which kind of gives a genuine feel. He was not trying to mask his emotions, he was just letting it go which is one good point.

In short, it is a book, I felt set in the tone my grandfather or any other person of that generation would have put in words. His life, his experiences, his view point... ! Not as spicy as it is projected to be, a honest effort is what I personally feel...

Chuttu Pakkala Choodaraa...

2012-02-07T08:08:00.000+05:30

Was listening to some Sirivennela songs as I was a little disturbed. I believe that a person's real strength comes across when he/she is passing through a rough patch. These days I am really losing my temper quite frequently and worse still on the kid JUST because she happens to be a lot more helpless than me in that particular situation... hate myself for doing it but I need a lot more restraint.

Movie: Rudraveena
Lyrics: Sirivennela

chuttu pakkala choodaraa chinavaada
chukkalo choopu chikkukunnavaada

kalla mundu katika nijam, kaanaleni guddi japam
sadhinchadu ae paramaardham, bratukuni kaneeyaku vyardham - Chuttu-

swargaalanu anudukonaalani vadigaa gudi metlekkevu
saati manishi vedana choostu jaali leni silavainavu
karunanu maripinchedaa chaduvu samskaaram ante
gunde bandagaa marchedaa saampradaayamante - Chuttu-

nuvvu thine prathi oka metuku, ee sangam pandinchindi
garvinche ee nee batuku ee samajame malachindi
runam tirchu tarunam vaste tappinchukupotunnaava, teppa tagalapettestaava yeru datagaane -Chuttu-

Siri Vennela... Evaru raayagalaru...!

2012-02-06T14:39:00.001+05:30

Naaku Sirivennela gaaru ante picchi istham... aayana paatale laali paatalugaa pandugaadiki paadenta ishtam... naa Musically Sush posts modalu pettindi tana paatala kosam actually. Eppudu oppokovadduraa otami... ee paata jeevitamlo nenu inka emi cheyyalenemo ani nispruha kaliginappudu talchukunte chaalu abbo naakenti anenta balam icchedi.. aa kalam nichi jaalu vaarina padaalu manchi mutyaalu... telikaina maatalu, pondikaina maatalu, Telugu bhaasha ante intandamgaa untundi inni bhaavaalu inni konni maatalato akshaarala roopamlo choopettoccha anipistundi..

He is a gift to music lovers.. I loved this speech by Trivikram, it is a true fan speaking; however, there is one simple point I do not really think is cent percent right. "Telugu cinemaa paatalu raayadam valana aayana alaa undipoyaaremo"... telugu saahityam, saahitee viluvalu anevi enta maatram teliyani ee taraaniki, potta koste aksharam mukka raani vaadiki kooda pandu valichi chetilo pettinatlu unde paatalu raasi enno manasulalo chirastaayigaa nilichipoyaaru, nilichipotaaru... If he were to be some renowned writer working for the love of language, I would have missed him totally. I am really selfish that way, I am glad he writes for us, makes me feel he wrote that particular song just for me. I guess a lot of us would actually feel the same way too... For a person who loves simplicity and is scared of complexity, he is one person who can make the transition really smooth and not even let me feel that the transition happened.. it is just magic when it comes to his words!

In his words.. Tarali raada tane vasantam, tana dariki raani vanaala kosam... naa drushtilo aayana naa deggari vacchina naa vasantam.

Sirivennela gaaru ante hrudayamlo aanandapu sirula vennela kuripinche mahaa manishi ani maatram cheppagalanu..!!!!

Loved the AV but somehow felt Sunitha's voice-over did not really do justice, I would have loved some strong voice coming through than the silky soft, catch my words carefully tone. I actually like her voice but somehow it seemed odd. I heard her say in one interview, I think with Jhansi that she loves Telugu and words in particular so much that she speaks them so very carefully and handles them like flowers.. she does indeed do that but somehow it seems to be bedroom whisper-y kind of voice at times killing the spirit of what is being told... I guess I am being overtly critical but that voice-over was the only Kill Joy!

Anyways, I am a lot more greedy and would like him to write like forever for me :).

Jai Sirivennela Garu... He is in my to-meet list at least once in lifetime. Maybe I would just be speechless in front of the master of words but still would like to just meet him.

Oka Sex Worker Aatmakadha - Nalini Jameela (Kaatyaayini)

2012-02-03T14:18:00.000+05:30

One more booked I picked from VJA book exhibition.

I dont usually prefer translations, I actually want to read this book in Malayalam, the way it is told by her or maybe even meet her.

Thanks to the movies, I got to know about Mumbai Red Light Area, Amalapuram area, or Calcutta Sonagachi but Kerala company houses or thaarvads is where born as Nalini and re-named Jameela now known as Nalini Jameela comes from!

There are certain statements and incidents in the book that kind of left a lingering impact on me, so many questions raised by her are valid not just for sex workers but for all the women, irrespective of the class or society she comes from. Truth is bitter. It is easy to become judgmental but the trauma, the struggle that goes into their becoming what they are is something that is conveniently ignored. Nalini raises a fundamental question as to the dual standards of the society where it looks down on the SW but goes easy on their clients. The system which conveniently forgives/forgets what a man has done never even hesitates to hurl abuses on the woman indulged in the same activity.

The book not only deals with the life of sex workers but the insecurity of living a life of a woman on roads, becoming an easy prey to the world outside. The abuse of various forms, changing in degree and form but still existing by and large, the harassment. The way they see it as the only reason for protecting themselves. When I was actually reading it, I felt that such women did a right thing deciding to do it voluntarily and feed and protect themselves from the men who would at any rate use her as object of desires. Is it the right way or the only way.. CERTAINLY NOT... but judging them based on what they do, isolating them from the society, tagging them.. what good is it.

With the rapidly changing morals and values in the society and being fully aware of so many extra-marital, premarital affairs, flings, for fun, for pocket money, on a high, in the name of love things that keep happening in front of our very own eyes, if we are quick to condemn what they do for a living, then we must certainly RETHINK!!!

I also personally doubt the rehabilitation of ex-sex workers. How far is it successful, forcibly taking them away without their willing.

The author defends the rights of people who still want to continue as SW, their forum while helping those want to get out of the trade get settled elsewhere also works towards the problems of the SW.

I want to watch the documentary/video that she made, a day in the life of a SW. Married thrice, all the times against her wish, getting in and out of the profession, begging in temples and mosques, kept away from children, one of whom died, a daughter who she knows nothing about now and a daughter who supports her now knowing everything.. a life full of lows and lowest lows and a little bit of hope which she wants to give others whose plight she understands...

A book that got me thinking!!!

Dheerubhai Ambani Edureeta - AG Krishnamurthy

2012-02-03T13:32:00.000+05:30

I really did not know much about DBA other than maybe when I read in newspapers, there was no personal interest in his life, did not actually know anything about him. I was so innocent to even know Vimal was a Reliance group company. The only time I really got to know him much was during the Mukesh Anil fight, even then I was not too much into knowing about him, it was just about the issue as a current affairs thing but no personal interest.

Come to think of it I did even know where Aden was where he started his career, then Yemen kind of rang a bell and then just geographical knowledge again, nothing much.

When I had been to the exhibition this Jan I was looking out for biographies and autobiographies as is my general tendency I happened to notice this and picked it up. Written by AGK of Mudra Communications, the book is not an indepth biography. It gives an insight into his struggle to get to the peak and his persistence in getting things done his way, how he unknowingly set so many path breaking victories in the fields he had relatively no knowledge to begin with. AGK intertwines his stint with DBA and how he had reacted in the circumstances DBA had done differently and all that. This book gives an insight into his life in a very short and crisp narrative, seemed to me like a summary of his life. Good one for starters, got to know many interesting facts.. the Only Vimal ads that we used to love watching on TV, the reliance brand, his foray into equity, shares and getting middle class involved and the way he left a mark on whatever he did.. inspiring!

Cinema India - The Visual Culture of Indian Films - Rachel Dwyer Diviya Patel

2012-02-03T13:20:00.000+05:30

The book concentrates on the visual culture and trends in the annals of Indian cinema which at its peak kind of produced more than 700 films per year.. dealing with everything from lights, camera, cinematography, action, costumes, sets, advertising, posters..

good read for someone intending to go into the industry.. to me, there were some interesting topics and some kind of felt like text book read to me considering I do not generally go that deeper into technical aspects of movie making. For me end product means a lot more than the ground work :).. overall an interesting insight into many aspects of film making

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen - Paul Torday

2012-02-03T13:15:00.000+05:30

Again, this is a book I happened to read just because it had to be returned, a random pick.

A British comedy dealing with a fisheries scientist brought in reluctantly into a project involving salmon fishing, a love story interwoven with political touch and a touch of comedy...

zipped through reading... could not sustain my interest just because of lack my personal interest!

Saguna - Krupabai Satthianadhan

2012-02-03T12:59:00.000+05:30

Supposedly the first autobiographical tale in English by an Indian Woman.

This story is a chronicle of lives of a mother and a daughter, the mother born into Hinduism, later converted to Christianity who still followed Hindu Practices. The life and times of these women, the thought processes of life as such is truly what it claims it is Saguna - The Story of Native Christian life.

A complicated read to me because of the complex flow of language but for language lovers it would certainly be more enjoyable.

Movie Time of late :)

2012-02-02T14:12:00.002+05:30

Books and movies are what keep me going in a place without any real human friends who I am in sync with to talk to. It is only virtually that I get to meet a lot of people. The people that I see day in and day out are just kid, mom, a few relatives in and around the village, household help, kid's friends, the golden oldies, driver/s, shopkeeper/s.

I love living this laid-back lazy life and do not really want to move out of this place as of yet, for kid's schooling maybe I would have to but not just yet.

So, these days I have covered a whole range of movies.. new to old to not so old ones... a quick zip-through review of them all :).

It is really tough to give a one-word verdict on the craft called movie on which a whole lot of lives depend.. keeping aside the bigwigs, from clap-boy to the door man of theaters (the very micro level)..

Journey

One of the very good and sensibly made movies of the recent times. Loved watching the movie, subtle and close-to-real life performances by all the artists. Kind of showcases the fact that life is a bubble. Just loved every frame and shot in the movie. Great job.

Businessman

Watched this one in our dabba Poornima, first day first show after a long long time :). It is a old world theater, no DTS, not even proper seating or fans but still I go there 'cos I love watching movies on big screen and encourage them for running in this remote area.

One happy thing is that it is much better to release movies in such C- graded theaters instead of 25/- 3 movie pirated DVDs!!

Can Watch Once In Theaters.. For fans, it is Mahesh all the way, at his best actually. Watch it with an open mind, don't try to use logic, 'cos it is nonexistent. What is with Kajal who just seems to be paid to look bad with each movie. Of course looking good next to MB is a tough task but still!

"Mindlessly Mahesh" in one word!

PS: - Sir Ostaaru song's choreography awesome... ROFL'lably cute!

Raajanna

Must admire Nagarjuna and Supriya to have undertaken this movie. No doubt it is because of Nag's sale-ability did we get to watch this movie on screen, any small actor, it would have been termed as a documentary or arty-type movie. The little girl Ani has really performed well. I have not really seen any mainstream movies on Telangana struggle for freedom, their living conditions, I have read about oppression by Doras the very pitiable living conditions of the poor, the lack of opportunities but nothing really has been presented this good.

Nagarjuna was good, Sneha did justice to her very small role and so did the rest of the characters. Music, the girl are no doubt heroes. It is the girl's struggle to meet the PM, Nehru to let him know about the problems in her area and making them aware of the need of working towards their upliftment. Wonderful performances.

Great effort!

Solo

I loved all the songs in the movie and of course wanted to see the second movie of Nara Rohit after Banam. He is definitely not a typical tollywood hero material but I love his strong voice and seems to me like just boy next door, speaks the language the way I do :), so kind of connected there ;). Good story line. An orphan wanting to get married to a girl from a big joint family. How he meets a girl and how he gets married to her eventually convincing everyone of his love and ability to take care of her despite being an orphan.

"nenu poyetappudu naa chuttu naluguru lekapote naa tappu gaani, puttinappudu lekapote naadela tappu avutundi sir"

alaa gurtundipoyindi ee dialogue and that is the essence of the story.

Kshetram

Typical re-birth revenge story starring JPB and Priyamani... can skip it and watch it on TV if you want to!

Veedinte

The only reason I wanted to watch this movie was K. Viswanth and he indeed has played a different role, one we can not really associate with him, so that being the only fresh point.. the rest of the movie is DVD or TV watch.

7th Sense
Personally, I am a Surya-Jyo fan and wanted to watch 7th sense after favorable reviews from a couple of buddies but then again period movies are something I dont really enjoy so was kind of having lesser expectations of me liking it... but I did watch without actually getting bored and thanks to the movie I got to know about Bodhi Dharma and Shaolin temple and stuff ! Sruthi Hasan has a good role to portray and for a new comer she did well.

Oh My Friend

Siddarth... phew!!! This seemingly sensible in real life guy has of late been selecting not-so good story line movies and same old kind of message oriented youth dramas are kind of getting on to me. It is okay to watch once kind of a movie which deals about how a boy and a girl can just be friends and be really good friends without actually having to fall in love or get married. The question raised is very genuine in today's scenario, how they overcome it might be what I personally approve of but something workable.

Rati Nirvedam

A movie with steamy exposing posters of Swetha Menon is something I had not originally intended to watch. It is the story set in a Malayalam household where the son of the house visits his native village for his vacation before joining Engineering in a nearby town. Adolescence and exploits in youth lead him to fall for Rathi, his neighbor who is older than him and a close family friend. She resists initially but finally succumbs to the feeling.. the movie has a tragic ending but the story line does not really hold good for changing morals of today; however, such things do happen still... kind of left me thinking for a while.

Hammayya.... raasesaanoch!!!

Wanted to watch Dirty Picture but could not, waiting if it would come to Poornima Hall but this Businessman seems to be stuck for 100 days here ;).

The Truth About Love - Jane Elizabeth Varley

2012-01-19T07:20:00.001+05:30

Unputdownable fiction which tackles emotions, insecurities, struggle, peaks and lows of life, well written, a mystery woven around the story of a couple going through adjustment phases, the insecurity of the second wife, trying to get a grip over the fear of the glamarous ex-wife getting back to get the man of her life and treading around step-kids, the issues thereof.

The mystery part is about the house the couple buys after a squeezing-tight financially dry divorce settlement with the first wife. The house has a historical touch to it with the letters of a Victorian couple broadcasted by BBC and loved by many. When Sally with her toddler Louis and husband Edward get in to the house as a second wife fighting her own battles of insecurities with a high-flying ex-wife Pia and two grown-up kids, Hope and Dan, she gets herself busy trying to dig up the actual history of the house, as to what happened to the couple involved. It takes quite a bit of digging through archives and long-dead, reluctant sources. Intertwined is the story of Anna, a neighbor who takes up the basement flat of the same house who happens to be a workaholic film maker and media person whose life takes a different turn when the ambitious project "marriage menders" which she works on gets into unexpected troubles. In the process, she tries to understand the meaning of love, family ties and support system along the way trying to get back the hold on her life.

There are quite a few threads left unanswered but then that is fine to me :), the less complicated and easy flowing, the better.!

Enjoyed reading this book a lot!

Freedom at Midnight - Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins

2012-01-17T13:57:00.000+05:30

An extensive and exhaustive read in the recent times.

I have always wanted to know what actually transpired towards the end of the freedom struggle
why India is the way it is?
Was Gandhi an architect of Indian freedom or just happened to be a lucky man who caught the pulse of the Britishers who were at any rate going to leave the country?
What about the revolutionary leaders and many others who were just sidelined and not gotten any importance as such?
Why Nehru and why not Sardar Patel who was definitely much more qualified and Indian to the core at heart?
When Britishers could bring under their rule the whole nation irrespective of their religions why did Religion enter in the way of freedom struggle?
Why did people who let a firangi rule unquestioned have so many problems to be under the same roof governing themselves peacefully?

There are so many questions and I do not say the book is an answer to those questions but in a way this is one book which has come closest to even trying to attempt to answer my queries. Firstly, the fact it was written by a French Man and an American, I guess is the reason for being not as judgmental or one-sided about Indians and English in general. However, this book kind of glorifies Mountbatten and at some point I felt it is through his eyes we see the history at that time, considering much of the text and data is taken from his journals, notes, scraps. Interwoven in that is the story of Mahatma, subtly putting forth the criticism and gently tackling it. Gently touching all aspects of the personalities of people involved in the final days of British Colonial Rule end and partition, the rise of two nations, the aftermath.. the strengths and weaknesses of the involved.

It does not give a complete picture of what really happened throughout the nation but most certainly around what and who lead to it from close quarters.

Would definitely suggest to someone who would read something different for a change... into fiction and biographies for a while, going through defining moments of history of India.

A book that attempts to put forth the defining the final moments of Freedom Struggle, the transfer of power, birth of 2 nations. The moments surrounding the times when we as Indians entered self-rule or self-ruin???

To My Sreya Baby

2012-01-09T13:14:00.000+05:30

Naa Kukdoo Makdoo Gaadiki,

It has been a while since I wrote you anything specifically. Dont I have to say anything to you or do I say to you that often that I dont write to you any more.

You have grown up leaps and bounds, talk a lot not the baby talk but you hold on to adult conversations quite by yourself for quite some time. When people look at you talking ,they mistake you for some kid quite older than you actually are (touchwood) but I do miss those baby days terribly. Those words like "neena (water), beeba (blanket with a baby pic) and that cute little "tea" you used to say so delicately like a baby parrot. That tiny baby who I could carry along in a half-folded towel fashioned like a swing is walking, talking and just about a tiny individual already. You have choices, tastes and you just make sure that I know them and not force mine on you though I occasionally insist in case it involves your nutrition intake!... err not just insist.. beg, shout, shove, push, carrot and stick approach whatever it is that takes to get something into that tiny little tummy of yours.. sigh!!!

One major change in your life is your knowing your father and spending a lot of time in person with him, being spoilt rotten with him dancing to your tunes, just giving you everything from a car to an ipad which you surprisingly are so adept at using (and I am like, what the hell an i-pad to a toddler, crazy or what???) just because you happen to ask him for them.

There is so much love in you to share it equally with both of us and surprisingly though I was initially angry and frustrated at so many changes happening so quickly and also for just not being able to let them out in front of you and occasionally bursting out not being able to contain the rage any longer.. there were so many ups and downs, highs and lows and now that the things have plateau'd I consider that it is in your best interest that things are working out, so let them be and not resist. To be honest to you and myself, maybe I just gave up the struggle giving it a mask of maturity. Whatever is the case, let me assure you kid that you will never ever be blamed for whatever has happened or will happen. It has been my doing and will be so.

Some times I get scared when you talk that you might turn into those "buduru bendakaay kids" who talk anything and everything that comes to their mind watching those damn telugu serials and listening to their parents/relatives/neighbors/maids talk but (touchwood) you are still a baby no matter how much you think you are BIGGG and blissfully unaware of any such language.

We stepped into the year 2012 together on a very sad note losing my loved maama and your Duddaai and surprisingly as much as I was working out on telling you what it actually meant, you seem to have understood just like you do everything else. You know he will not return and you know no pain as such. I just want you to remain to be so unaffected by anything and everything. While I struggle with my own pain, I see you putting into practice what is taught to us adults but never practiced.. MOVE ON UNAFFECTED.

We have been to many trips, visited so many places, met so many people and had so much of fun together as a unit called family which I thought I could never give you besides me and you making up for everything else, which I must say takes a load off my chest.

You know nothing in English, including basic "what is your name?" because I just have not felt the need to teach you English which you will be bombarded with the for your entire life once you enter into the school. When you are at loss to answer when someone talks to you in English suddenly, I used to feel a pinch of guilt and run to your rescue explaining to the people, perfectly telugu speaking individuals, that we prefer to talk in Telugu, so you do not actually understand and get those dirty looks (yes, they do give) as if I am ruining your life talking to you in our mother tongue. When it is a conscious decision, why that guilt in me? just because you are lagging behind in understanding for NOW does not mean you will never know it. Now when you are moving with some English speaking telugu kids you do understand and will gradually know. I am not depriving you of anything, you will just take your time to get there :).

I want to say so much to you, write a lot more but English is failing me.. now that we have a mode of communication and you do understand it pretty well, I guess my mind is tuned to talk to you, think about you in Telugu.. will get back to that in some time.. like every time, there is sooooooooooooooo much to say and you know that I wont rest until I tell it to you.. so stay tuned for some...errrrr a LOT more..

Retain that lovely nature of yours, be good, do good, spread cheer, love and joy just the same way ever!!!

Love you naaanu,
Amma (your tuttuma).

Sree Raama Raajyam - A Visual Delight

2012-01-06T11:09:00.001+05:30

An absolutely fantabulous, magnanimous visual treat.. is what I would call the movie.

I watched this movie a while ago and wanted to review it, did not want to do it hurriedly and then it got postponed indefinitely and then yesterday while channel surfing got to watch the 50-day celebrations and then had to do this post!

I do not actually remember Lavakusa which is supposed to be the first attempt at Rama Charita which was immensely popular. Still remember the song "vinudi vinudi raamaayaana gaadha, vinudee janulaara", Rama meant NTR, it still means him and only HIM and Seetha meant Anjali Devi... well to me I imagine "Sneha" to be apt for some reason but just loved Nayantara to the core as Seetha. She just gave a mind-blowing performance, maybe it is apt to say she lived the character than acted.

Being a Bapu fan, was absolutely certain he would make the heroine look awesomely lovable and he did exactly what is best at doing. God, the sets, even the graphics made it give an epic-like feeling. Everything was so huge, so larger than life but then the epic is larger than life too which suits it perfect. Ramana garu wherever he is must be happy with the final output.

Coming to the actual story and all, our generation kids hardly anything other than chota bheem and all those cartoon characters and this visual delight with kids Lava and Kusa and Hanuman as another child makes it fun for the kids to watch and understand, surely eye catching for them. Great attempt, something which will go down in the history of this generation kids like "Lavakusa" was for us.

The music is the backbone of the movie and it gradually grows on us... all in all a wonderful wholesome package.

What I loved the most in the movie was Seetha's Gorintaaku applied hands, it was so authentic and each time I saw her, I was so smitten. Baalayya was good and I am sure no one else would have been as good except for Jr. NTR in that role but comparing it with NTR coupled with high-exceptions, he seemed old with wrinkles and pot belly. ANR as Valmeeki was the best of all even at that ripe age, lots to learn from this man.

Wanted to come home and watch Lavakusa at home right after SRR but somehow just could not, will watch it some time today if possible, at least in episodes and maybe I would be doing LK vs SRR in my own way :).

One sad thing I noted that most of the people that were on the stage yesterday, had lost someone really dear in their lives... Bapu - Ramana, Ilaya Raja - Wife, Dasari - Wife and just recently ANR - Wife. He was not around but it did feel sad seeing them at one place. May their souls rest in peace.

Kamal and Minnu

2012-01-05T11:41:00.001+05:30

One of the very good virtual friends I made is kamal. I liked him for his sensible performances in Aavakay Biryani and Kalavaramaaye Madilo and of course love his paintings and all things he does with passion, like the animation series he tried to do and the society conscious behavior kind of holds in a very good light and high respect in my view.

and the surprise is, he pinged me up one fine day, to be precise Deepavali day and I still have that transcript with me and stop myself from pinching hard if it all actually happened!! anyways, the point is it was a chat with someone I truly respect, so it made all the difference.

kamalkamaraju: hi sushma.. morning and a happy deepawali to you and yuour family
Sushma: wooooooooooooooooooooooow
Thank you and some to you Kamal
it is such a pleasure
and a toooo good surprise...

and that surprise lasted for quite some time and when it did wear off, it was an extremely wonderful morale boosting one on one for almost an hour... yay!!! was I on cloud 9... 99!! actually.. Then when he got made this book shelf, I was like I should have this one, even spoke to his mom about getting it shipped to my place but then I fell, broke my leg once, then fell again broke the other leg and rest as they was history and the deal was kind of let hanging and since it was a limited edition model, I could not ask for it again!!

We chat off and on when he gets time and I happen to be around... it has been quite some time, in fact just about at the time of release of Virodhi, but then I got really busy to even be online and he being his usual busy self got busier with his theater, paintings and multitude of other things! I keep a track of what is happening but hardly interact any longer.. now is a chance to bond up with him in person, so if any one is interested do visit the place, take your kids along!

His passion for painting with his social consciousness took a turn and then Minnu was born...In his own words MINNU.

There is an exhibition in MUSE Art Gallery, Marriott, Hyderabad on 7th January from 06:30 p.m. onwards .. Please contact Kaali Sudheer, the owner and the curator of the gallery, who also happens to have a cute little daughter of two, just like my Sreya, and get further information from him about the exhibition at +91 9396 4444 24. Kamal will be there to see you.. I wish I could be there too... I will surely try to send in OA to represent us and get one of those lovely limited edition Minnu calenders!!

Good luck Kamal and Happy Touchdown in artworld Minnu.. love you girl, you rock!!

Another Kill

2012-01-04T11:29:00.000+05:30

Phew... I happened to kill yet another baby snake yesterday!!

vaanalu vaste chaalu paamulu intlo kanipistunnaayi ee madhya, chuttoo paadu badipoyina illu, andulo manishettu molichina gaddi, ee paamulu, elukalu, chedalu, appudappudu vaati pakka illaki vihaaraalu, baaboye, okkosaari vanukocchestundi...

We have a diwan outside the house in the open balcony but since a dog got used to coming there and sleeping at night I put a cover on it every single night, yesterday when putting that I see something fall on my hand and then on the ground and began to crawl away, it was dark and I had not switched on the light and could just see the outline, the book I was reading fell on it and it hid in the pages of the book. when I switched on the light, I see just a tiny tail out of the book and then I had to kill it before it hurt my baby.. well, she was not around but I cant trust that they wont cross paths again even if i let it go.

Then I just killed it and there goes another one to my credit!!! It was maybe days' old, it hurts when I remember the entire episode.. I am yet to get over it.. should I have let it go out of the way just the way it had come??? No idea!!!! but kill I did.

Rambling Away On The Year Past

2012-01-02T13:34:00.000+05:30

There is so much to say, so many lines forming and erasing themselves in the mind.. too many backlogs, want to write but not really sure as to how much I explore those thoughts without losing the current balance and frame of mind.

The year left behind so many memories, what began with a disastrous fall and getting bedridden for 2 months ended with being really fit and fine than I had been in the last few years, so that is a blessing!

Relationships stable and plateaued with an understanding not to rush things, daughter growing up beautifully (touchwood) some times a chatterbox, some times a naughty toddler, some times mature beyond years baby, some times just plain my baby :), amazing how they grow up leaving you to wonder wherever their supposed innocence and babyhood has been left behind.

Loss of my youngest maternal uncle bringing out varied emotions, anger, frustration, sadness everything in equal measure. So much of distress and it still seems like he is around somewhere just like he was and any time we would hear his very familiar scream "Pandu gaaaaaaaaaaaa" the name with which the kid is identified in the village, a life wasted... extreme sadness, uncontrollable anger and a lesson to just not get drowned by emotions!!!

Job front went for a toss with so many breaks but stressors have gone down a lot. I have been relaxing all I want, not really wanting to work. Some times there is this fear that I am getting used to not work, a nagging fear that I am gradually rusting myself very far from being the ambitious professional girl that I was at one point. I need to push myself doubly harder just to focus and sit and make myself want to work and not find excuses. I need to motivate myself to cut myself from the extended holidaying break-taking mode.

Personally, I feel that I am a better person than I had been for quite some time, I see my good old self resurfacing at times though not fully. There is not that much of anger, resignation to fate has not set in but a deeper understanding gave way to matured thinking leaving the cool me take over the hot-blooded decision maker. Being a rebel, aggressive everything is slowing giving way to being more passive.. but the anger still kindles from time to time, need to work a lot more on this aspect.

All in all, I would say, the last year left me a very changed person, a lot more at peace with myself and pretty much relaxed and content person, the restlessness factor takes a backseat and that really calls for YAYYYYYY!!!!

Dhyaanam - The Journey Within - 1

2011-12-20T08:10:00.000+05:30

It has been a while, to be precise exactly 41 days today since the Dhyaana workshop of Pyramid Spiritual Societies started in our village Guraza, the final ceremony is today. I have been meaning to do a journey within article right from the beginning but just could not bring myself to doing it, better late than never, so I begin it today.

Whenever I have been down in dumps throughout my adolescent and adult life, Dhyaana has come to my rescue in one form or the other but I have never really persisted on that and taken it to another level or at least continued it once I was out of the blue.. edo chesaama, tedaa kanipinchindaa, malli daarlo paddaama, sare inka nenu normal.. thank you Dhyaanam... malli naaku edaina gatti debba tagilinaa, ledante evarikaina tagilinaa.. arey nenu cheste bhale undi telusaa, nuvvu kooda cheyyi cheppataaniki tappite eppudu saadhana cheyyaledu.

The past 3 years, which have undoubtedly been the most testing periods of my life, I lost trust on everything and even the best tool I had in my hand, meditation, left me. I just could not bring myself to do it because of so much pent up anger, mistrust and hopeless feelings.. well to look back and say, maybe the time was not yet ripe.. inkaa naaku anubhavinchaalsina paapa phalitaalu migilipoyi unnaayemo.

Even when I wanted to do it there was no motivation, there was so much of anger on everything and everyone and a question WHY ME.. before anything, a passion to give it back to everyone in my own way, silent, violent or whatever it takes to make the people around me shut up, let me lead my life the way I knew would be better.. just give me some breathing space. Forget providing support, all I requested, pleaded and begged was to be left alone.. I was under the impression that the whole wide world was out to bash me and mash me little realizing I was doing the worse to myself, abusing my body beyond what it could, the mind beyond everything else which was just hanging on bare threads...

Some times a fleeting realization would dawn in but I found respite in books and internet which most certainly did help but only to a superficial extent, just barely keeping me from falling into an endless abyss. I had been longing for a group to meditate, some place where I can have a break from everything and just pursue the journey to peace, not really looking for solutions, just the strength to breeze through it all.

Through this all, the health took a downward spiral taking me even close quarters to death, which left everything in a limbo for a while. A few of my friends tried helping me sending the cds of Ramdev baba's meditation, breathing techniques, yoga, exercise and caps even came down to teach me the Isha Kriya but just a day or two and everything is kind of forgotten. I really wanted to do it with a group, regularly without a break, needed that motivation but in the rural place that I am currently put up, it can only be dreamt of.. a kid to take care of, a household to run, a job to be dealt with, health to be taken care of, it just remained a distant dream... then came the Pyramid thing that was announced, a relative (maama) of mine a senior pyramid guru who was born in this village, organized a workshop with an aim to make AP "Dhyaana Andhra Pradesh". Good for me, it was a perfect solution to my problem.. and thus began my journey, which kind of changed the course of my life and still continues to, how what and why, the feelings through it all... will follow in the next few posts.

Rama Rama Rama ane Raaja Mandiram

2011-12-18T22:16:00.000+05:30

Saw the movie on big screen finally... a visual delight.. more on the movie in a detailed review... but for now the song that me and kid and the OA unanimously like and the one which played on the entire trip for a lot of times, so that even the kid memorizes the lyrics...

Lovely song...HERE

Movie: Sree Rama Rajyam

Raama raama.. raama raama.. raama rama ram mara maraama, raama, raama
raama aney raaja mandiram, ghallu ghallumani tirigey raama sundaram.. raaja mandiram, baala raama sundaram.

muddu maatalanta muddu gaari potadanta,
aapaleni allaranta, tepa tepa teeyananta
baala raamudallarante vasishtuniki isthamanta.. -- raama--

baanamuto goda meeda kothi bomma geesthadanta
vajaraputungaramu teesi kaaki paiki visrunanta
silakengili jaampandey kori maree tintadanta
karjuralu draakshalu udathalake pedatadanta
dakkuntunadantaa settu chaatukelli, raallu vestadanta seruvu lona malli..
ammaa naanna antha aa allari mecchukoni, baala raamuni bhaley ani muddulu petaranta --maraama, raama--

paala buvva tinamantey meda paiki parugulanta
pasidi bindeloni panneeru volakapostadanta
sandamaava kaavalani sandekada godavanta
addamlo choopiste sanchi lona daasenanta
sriramudina chinappudu inthe, akasamanthaa allari chesaadanta
ammaa naanna anni maku nuvve kadaa amma...
eppudu inka haddulu meeram, tappuni manninchamma...--raama, raama--maraamaraama--

Lovely!!!!

Bed of Roses - Daisy Waugh

2011-12-18T21:53:00.000+05:30

An interesting fiction light read. Loved reading it through and through. There is so much going on in the story, not just a single line, too much to keep one busy reading, yet not confusing.

Story revolves around a very young school mistress who is running away from ghosts of her past in a very restless manner, fears overriding the rationality part, strong yet vulnerable at times.. As part of her move, she joins a school that is about to shutdown. She brings in a lot of changes and gets respected by her pupils and the parents, how she brings about changes in her life along with the school and too many conflicts resolving at the end.

Read it on the move, in bits and pieces during the trip but enjoyed reading it.

Thriller - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-12-10T08:50:00.000+05:30

Like I have mentioned many times before, the foreword and afterward of the book makes the reading experience even better in case of YV.

Through this book, he introduces the concept of absurd writing in Telugu fictional literature. In the foreword he brings about clarity on the technique of writing which involves drastic dramatization of events showing them in unbelievable proportions thereby showing the subtle feelings, emotions in a larger angle which leave a mark on the viewer/reader.

This book is about a beautiful, young and lonely girl Vidhyadhari who all through her life has been suspecting the concept of love because of her childhood experiences in a dysfunctional family, the mistrust she has on people who proclaim love and her questions and thoughts pondering over the reality/credibility of what people around her do or say.

She comes across a guy Anudeep who claims that he has been loving her for the past 7 yrs, went on to do penace in Vindhya Hills, realized God and came back to win her love not in a most unselfish and true manner. How the events in their lives take a turn which lead to death of Anudeep.. and whether he actually dies or not is left hanging which is an experimental techinque in Telugu fiction world..

as usual a very interesting read!

.... and then

2011-12-08T09:38:00.001+05:30

the realization dawns that my blog is kind of becoming a review based one rather than my place... but then again, thanks to this asthma all I get to think is illness which I am fed up ranting about and that leaves me with the kid and me which I normally dont go overboard on discussing in the blog in general or any person in specific... leaving it to be just the review corner.. maybe a wake up call... looking back I feel like I am a part of the Evening Hour marathon I did a while ago all over again, which also reminds me that I am yet to get my participation certificates from last year.... sigh!!!!!....

now you know why dont do constructive blogging any longer.. buck up!

The Death of Vishnu - Minal Suri

2011-12-08T09:35:00.000+05:30

A story set about in a 3-storied building in mumbai which houses a couple of families Pathaks and Asrani's sharing a common kitchen in the first floor, Jalaals in the second and Mr. Taneja who is a loner widow on the top floor. Vishnu is an errand-man in the apartment block who is in the final stages of his life, alone and uncared for whom the families take turn to feed and take care of even if it is unwillingly.

The narrative unfolds through the eyes of Vishnu, who sick and left to die looks back on his life, his love affair with Padmini, his role in lives of the apartment dwellers as well as their own life stories weaving it up with a mythological connective and how the death finally arrives.

It is a thought provoking book which beautifully captures the essence of lives of common people, their conflicts, joys, desires and duties!!

Good read.

Nallanchu Tella Cheera - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-12-08T08:12:00.001+05:30

Pure fiction with a good research and information about saree weaving, wholesale manufacturing and retail sales.

Reading this book reminded me of a movie, although the story line is a bit different there are certain scenes taken from the movie script, so when I was reading the book I was kind of imagining the actors who played those roles in the movie.. Chiru, Madhavi, Bhanupriya :))). I know I am crazy that way.

The story which starts with a young door-to-door saree salesman with an amazing skill of fashion and beauty tips for women and makes it big with the help of a big wig in the industry and climbs up the ladder with hardwork and honesty suddenly takes a twist with a murder, who did it, why what and how forms the crux of it all..

all in all, an interesting read.

PS: Thanks for correction Keerthi nene marchipoyaa Bhanupriya anukuntoo Bhanumati kottaa burra!!1

Difficult Daughters - Manju Kapoor

2011-12-08T08:07:00.000+05:30

Loved reading this book which is set around the time of partition interweaving the love story of a young Punjabi girl from a traditional family with a married professor from south India, who ultimately marries her as a second wife and how the life takes its twists and turns in the due course.

It is actually the couple's daughter who sets out to find the life and times of her parents right after the death of her mother. The book tackles in detail the conflicts of opinions of mothers and daughters of 3 generations, the lives during their times how they got sucked into life willingly or unwillingly. Mixing it up with the events in the partition times and the inner feelings of the protagonist Virmati are explained well..

Lovely read

Tulasi - Yandamoori Veerandranath

2011-11-30T18:06:00.000+05:30

Supposed to be a sequel to his previous novel Tulasi Dalam where a 11-year-old girl is rescued by her father and friends from the clutches of an evil creature Kashmora and death of Kaadra, the sequel shows the grown up girl Tulasi and the belief as to how Kashmora gets reactivated with more powers after 11 years and how this time the girl will most certainly die.

The book is a good read for a reader like me who loves such stories. However, there is always a linkup, scientific backing for everything happening and the question of whether the witchcraft and wizardry as mentioned exists or not is left hanging..

Pratidaaniki Hetuvaadi drushtito choostoo raayadam.. makes the book an interesting read!

A Mother's Hope - Katie Flynn

2011-11-29T19:43:00.000+05:30

A story about 2 foundlings who meet by accident and start living together by chance and decide to make it permanent by choice standing by each other through thick and thin touched my heart.

A typical non-complex no-nonsense my type of easy-flow read!

Albert who prefers to call himself Martin is an albino and an orphan meets Gertrude who prefers to call herself Rose meet by accident when both of them go job hunting in terrible raining weather. Albert unable to take in the ridicule due to his skin condition gets out of the YMCA and sleeps rough at night near doorsteps in his sleeping bag and Rose a pregnant teenage (15 yrs) unwed girl whose mother left her during the blitz at a doorstep with the note that she will come back but could never really make it who gets assaulted by the incharge's husband at a girls camp meet up unexpectedly how they stay with each other through thick and thin and how they come together forms the story line.

Loved reading it!

Siggestondi - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-11-29T19:37:00.000+05:30

A fiction that springs from the daily harassment of woman and children in one way or the other in the society, the problems of middle class working families, the troubles with residential school system, the sexual harassment day in and day out, subtly, harshly encountered by women..

The fear, the lack of it, the consequences of being forthright and society conscious... there are times when I could relate to the protagonist in the way I think.

As usual, I like the ending the explanation at the end by the author as to what led him to write this one.

Trip to SOS village

2011-11-24T10:05:00.000+05:30

A few of us might know about the SOS villages in India. I happened to visit one village in Hyderabad recently with the kid and OA.

HERE.. The village in Hyderabad consists of 12 families. Each family has a house and a mother with a few kids assigned to her. It is a normal household, the kids have family ties like mother, sister, brother and uncles and aunties. They go to school, they have tutions, they play, they grow up in a wholesome environment.

The first time I got to know about it I was like, well the concept sounds good, it better be good in implementation as well. I have seen so many places who form a charitable organization for the name of it and nothing is hygienic but the first feel as we enter this village is that it is truly an ashram, midst greenery and clean fresh air.

We tried calling up the numbers provided on the Hyd site but due to some faulty phone lines could not reach them and decided to carry on with the trip no matter what, just chose the evening time because all the kids would be back from schools by then. Did not know what to take and how to go about, so just took a few sweets to give them to the kids, did not know the number of kids nor the number of families.

As we reach and enter the campus I am like in love with that place there is a place assigned for ducks and pigeons where they tried to provide a natural habitat kind of thing for them where they were brooding and living normally, there was so much of greenery and order. There was peace all around, the kids started coming one after the other. the management was good in receiving us introduced us to the families, wanted us to have a trip, get the feel of how things are and go and see any family we wanted to. We wanted the kid to distribute sweets but they denied for the reason they were not sure if he had enough for all the families and that they will do the needful but agreed to take a few to the families and give it to the mother of the family we wanted to visit.

The children were good, friendly and got used well to the culture there. There was discipline in general.. the kids were a little unruly here and there but then that is normal everywhere. Sponsoring a kid there for education, food or in general is something really worthy is what I felt after that visit.

The boys are transferred to a youth house after they are 14 as the mother might not control the adolescent behavior but the girls stay within the family. even if the children go to hostels for higher studies, they do visit home like normal kids too.. the eldest kid in the village was doing her degree and was staying in a hostel.. the youngest entrant to the village was a girl "Sai" a 2-day old now 7 year old who is loved by everyone in the village as their own.. the medical and day-to-day needs are taken care of well.

For NRIs or high-earning individuals the amount of sponsoring a kid might not be much but if we are able to spend time with them when we can we can inspire them a lot more is what I personally felt. When we sponsor a kid, we are assigned a child, we cannot pick a kid, but we are assigned to the kid and we can go and meet the kid in whatever family he or she is.. we are given the details of the kid. More than the money factor, it is the human interaction that I liked much. The concept of mother is good, the ambiance is lovely and there is trained help available 24/7... if you happen to be in Hyderabad and can spare some time, please do visit them... take your kid to play with them, you play with them as a kid, listen to them, tell them about your life.. trust me we are helping ourselves doing this tiny ritual than the other way round.

They give us so much in turn and that is immeasurable.

Telangana Devadasu - Dr. Kaaluva Mallayya

2011-11-24T09:44:00.000+05:30

First book I read with conversations in proper telangana to an extent.

The novel came as an extension to Swathi - Monthly, a good story base as to how feudal system came to an end in today's times and the life and experiences of a boy from a lower class and a girl from the "dora" family, how they grow up together and the girl kind of develops a love to the boy and wants to marry him but they are separated by the families in the name of respect and honor.. but as the title suggests the book is not about how the guy becomes a drunkard in the name of the girl and her cheating, it is about how they both mould their lives happily understanding the realities of life and not regretting and there by ruining everything for themselves or each other. A good narration and a theme.

Chatura - Avaastavikudu, Maaya Pandu (Sep, Oct)

2011-11-22T07:50:00.001+05:30

I love these publications Chatura and Vipula a lot, some times I cannot really relate to Chatura stories, some I just dont understand, some just dont interest me enough.. but in some way the content leaves a mark on me, so I decide to review the points I liked in the book each month in my book reviews..like the stories I liked in that month in Vipula and the novel in Chatura..

Avaastavikudu - Ampasayya Naveen

It is the story about a professor who dreams of bringing a change in the college and education system he has dedicated his life to. He is a man of principles and values and a very impractically practical person who brings in wrath of so many people in his journey for a proper world. His failure to recognize not everyone is perfect is his big flaw. He has a set of beliefs and he wants others to blindly implement them. He wants things to change for good in a few days, bring everything to track in a very unruly college to which he is posted a principal. The problems with the staff who have been used to lazy life and their politics, with students and even his own wife and son, leave him distressed and the way the events turnout, the way he is left to abandon everything never to return again depicts many real life aspects..

the way anger and aggression leads to failure of a person, the need for one person to be practical even if it is eventually for the greater good of the society, makes us think. The book clearly depicts what is going on in the educational system in the state, helplessness at such things and also the result to expect extreme change within no time with strict rules that backfire.. a good read!!

Maaya Pandu - Dr. Manthaa Bhanumati

A happy go lucky story about a few friends who come together to launch a software firm, three people from different backgrounds who make it big through hard work and how happily life stays ever after. A son of farm laborers who works hard to provide a good life to parents and sister, a middle class person who makes it big in software firm, a very rich Zamindar who works hard and is down to earth despite being rich who come together, whose lives get interwoven during the course of their job and how each corrects and supports the other during the journey.. this also deals with artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables and fast-paced life of city dwellers, what they are lacking in a subtle way... simple easy read!

Hope For Newborns - Rodge Glass

2011-11-22T07:30:00.000+05:30

The book comprises of a story woven about life of Lewis, one among 3 sons of a broken and dysfunctional family with a mother who reserves herself to silence the rest of her life, a father obsessed with his barber shop Victory who has a madness like passion for all things British, who served in war, whose shop gets attacked by anti-war protesters and the confusion of Lewis as to whose side he is on any more, the lack of interest in his own life, the things at his place that show no signs of changing to normalcy.. he has a dream to go places, visit his dream vacation spots for which he saves up everything he earns, leaving very meanly, the way he meets up a girl CC online who shares with him about an international charity "Hope for Newborns" with intentions to repair one's own damaged life along with the life of others, interests him.. and the rest of the story kind of makes his life interesting by keeping secrets, doing some stuff he normally would not, imagining stuff..

It has both comedy and sadness, complications that this new era has to offer us, the human relationships that seem to be such an effort to maintain.. it is about life of two people who want to explore more....

An okay read, a good narrative, good subject line.. but somewhere down the line, I lose the track and rush through it just to finish it.

Aakhari Poraatam - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-11-06T22:12:00.000+05:30

I remember hearing a movie with this name, I guess of Nag, maybe I would just watch it once rather than read this book :) for a change.

Typical telugu smuggling/drug/arms pedaling swamy's act bursted by a common man with the help of an IPS officer...

Not my type of a read but not really really bad either.

Solo... Music

2011-11-05T08:38:00.000+05:30

I really liked all the tracks is Solo, Nara Rohit's Telugu movie.. this guy seems to make sensible movie choices.. after Banam, will wait for his movie surely. He seems a bit too rough to be a boyish hero but okay in a few angles.

Movie: Solo
Lyrics: Raamajogayya Sastry

Liked all the songs, soothing and one mass song.. good combo

Pudutoone solo nenu
nadichaanu naato nenu
evvariki yemee kaanu
unna todu mannu minnu

naalo chelarege toofaanu evariki choopalenu
nene ilaa endukunnaanu, prasninchaa nanne nenu..

jagamanta soonyam nenu
batukanta sokam nenu
nannu nene odaarchaanu
tadikanta nittoorchaanu
nene... maargam leni nenu
mounamai mandinaanu
chuttoo vasantaanni koraanu
sisiramlaa migilaanu.

Some thing which I will go ahead and buy for a drive...!

The lazy, crazy, wheezy me!!!!

2011-11-04T13:27:00.000+05:30

Phew, it has been a while since I did anything good that I actually want to do.. being lazy, crazy, wheezy.. sigh!!!!

I am mighty pissed off on myself, trying to get my stamina back, something I am very allergic to which
I am not able to figure out, eliminating a food at a time, an allergen at a time.. sick, sick.. there are so many things that I miss doing.. simple things like missing friends, missing just normal routine and guess what I miss the most.. talking!!!..

Priyuraalu Piliche - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-11-04T13:02:00.000+05:30

Thanks to my coughing my lungs out while talking spells, I have finished a couple of books in 2 days, love the reading part while just hate the cough..

This is another fiction work by the author which seems to be too unreal at the beginning for me, typical Telugu novel where a rich arrogant self-made girl weds a poor self-respecting value-filled once rich young man who seems to be the perfect man in every sense of the world, good in heart, mind and deed, a lot of filmy twists later the heroine is rendered paraplegic by some poisoning the guy marries her selflessly then another girl enters his life who motivates him to bring out his master pieces of painting.. blah, blah, blah.. but what I liked best about the book is the ending the way the protagonist finds an answer to the questions in a place he least expects. The point where he begins the search for real "him" the way he gets his answers and the way story ends brings credibility to the whole reading.

"gharshana valle manishi edugutaadu"..

so true but then again aa gharshana anede lekapote elaanti baadha lekundaa putti chacchipotaadu ee vyadha undadu anipistundi okkosaari!! The more you want to find answers, the more is the friction of thoughts asalu aa alochane raananta varuku emi undadu kadaa.. aa gharshane lekapote manishiki pasuvuki tedaa ledu anadam kooda nijame kaani okkosaari manasu aa pasuvu bratuke betteremo anipistundi... khikhi.. nenu naa paityam!! Heeeee.. Keerthi, I know you understand this a lot better than many.. this feeling I mean.

The Promised Land - David Hewson

2011-11-04T12:53:00.000+05:30

Last from the current BL list that I have with me that the OA had picked up for the month.

Loved every bit of the book, suspense kept through and through.. Bierce, a prisoner miraculously and almost inexplicably gets released from his execution just seconds before the lethal injection and the story revolves around his discovery as to what actually happened on the fateful night 23 years ago when his wife and kid were beaten to death brutally and he is made out to be the man behind it. However, he has no memory of the incident, just that particular incident, as to what happened, how it did.. and most importantly if HE ACTUALLY DID IT.. he has memory but in patches, it is like the incident and the related stuff to his family is erased from his mind whereas somethings he clearly remembers.. it is hazy and clear all at once. The way he discovers the truth along with Alice Loong another victim of this massacre forms the core story.

Just loved the way even the protagonist is unaware if it is he who did it when everything points it is him.. something tells him he wasn't the one but yet he needs a confirmation.

I would most certainly like to read more from this author.

Unseen Academicals - Terry Pratchett

2011-11-04T12:46:00.000+05:30

A comic folklore fantasy...Again this book is supposed to be 37th of the Discworld series by the author, the books on magic and fantasy, vampires and witches, dwarfs and wizards. My brush with magic fantasy was Bewitched. Not something that I would pick to read on my own ever.. kept it for the last before read from BL batch of books that I have with me currently.

Saying touchwood, crossing fingers somethings that have come down unknowingly, takes us into that world.. of a fantasy football match which the Wizards of Unseen University playing without the use of magic.. funny most certainly only a few would like it.. not an easy read for me because of too much of football and the story base as such. I would maybe like something else of this folklore stuff by the author better

A Visit From the Good Squad - Jennifer Egan

2011-10-27T07:58:00.000+05:30

First book of the author again.. supposedly one of the 2010 New York time best sellers this book did get me really interested at the outset describing the two main characters whose journey of ups and downs and highs and lows in their personal and professional (records and musicals of west) lives, Sasha and Bennie.

I really liked the way Sasha, the PA for an ageing music mogul who has been with him through her formative years through much later in life, was introduced, her feelings expressed, her compulsiveness to steal or rather pick items that she thinks she will replace later but not find time to do again, a comfort stealer getting therapy and then Bennie, using Gold flakes 'cos they are believed to be aphrodisiac the way he feels for a marriage that is over, his own tiny way of getting back at his wife through mind games or in his mind.. very subtle psychological insight into two individuals around whom the story is framed..

but then gradually, the author lost me in the musical setting and youthful struggles of young musicians, etc... okay read!! I had skipped a lot of pages just to get to the end of the book :).. but then that is me.. if you have time to spare, then maybe fine!

The Moment You Were Gone - Nicci Gerrard

2011-10-25T20:03:00.000+05:30

I really loved this work of fiction by Nicci Gerrad, a tale of two friends whose lives got intertwined with each other in a such a way that they were never separate even when they were not in touch for 20 long years. A story about friendships, relationships, revelations, secrets, struggles..

I really liked the intro on author and the story behind the story. There are a lot of aspects that touched me, a lot of things about me surfaced when I read the book.. the need to keep surroundings clean.. that sense of being in control with orderly surroundings, the need to cut off stuff, the burning bridges, the way things just re-begin, a lot many similarities and a lot more self-revelation through the author.

Good read!

Prarthana - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-10-21T09:23:00.001+05:30

So, after the stretched out read of GMM, I needed something to break the slow reading spell and took Prarthana, a book by YV based on Robin Cook Fiction Fever, the battle of a father with the cancer and cancer-curing drug makers and system in general intertwined with fiction suitable for telugu readbuds (eeks I suck at it but this is my version of taste-buds for book readers).

Like other investigative novels there is quite a lot of information and data to absorb from this book regarding, cancer drugs, braille font, corporate culture in pharmaceutical drug industries, the hospitals and research centers, etc and the data just does not look boring or bearing. The story line is quite intricate with a widowed scientist who is left with his 3 young children, the eldest daughter is Prarthana. She gets her dad married to a teacher from her school and ironically on the very next day of their wedding it is discovered that the kid suffers from leukemia at a very critical point, how the ground shatters from beneath the father's feet when he realizes what he has been convinced all through that the actually-touted panacea is not all that good and that very same method is used to treat his daughter. The way he rebels, joined by another employee of the research center, who stands by him through his thick and thin tolerating the worst possible health and personal hazards and how it all ends in finding a cure for cancer under very trying circumstances.

More than the book, the "Swagatham" portion of it by YV touched me. In that part, he comes across as a person with genuine feel about wrongdoers of the society.. by the way, it is 2009 editions that I currently have!!

Good Morning, Midnight - Reginald Hill

2011-10-20T21:13:00.000+05:30

For a different and easy flow reader like me this book was quite a task to finish and come to think of it that I had taken a week to read a large-print 400 pager, it speaks for itself.

The book is a murder mystery by Reginald Hill, in fact a copy-cat suicide mystery where the son follows the exact same pattern as the father 10 years prior. How the story unveils and mystery untangles forms the crux of the story. A dysfunctional family, a business-mad father who kind of lost his identity in an overseas merger who kills himself, a step mother with a past, un-accepting elder stepchildren, son and a daughter and a doting and loving third step daughter, who gets married to the takeover guy, a bird-crazy aunt, spouses of these children, their affairs, and a whole lot of investigative agency, their lives and people in them, kind of too very cluttered!!!!... and finally when the end comes, I am glad it got over.

Too many characters introduced too early on kind of confused the flow of my reading and I could not really get out of that confusing mode for quite some time. Even a bad cramp could not get me focus on the pages of a mystery, so I guess this is not my kind of a read; however, it gets interesting towards the end, too many of loose ends, not really getting anywhere.

I guess this book is kind of a series of crime novels starring Pascoe and Dalziel and their weird way and style of working together and how all comes to a conclusion, kind of lost me because I am not really aware of those two and the author really does not take too much of pain to set a tone for these characters to begin with and just dives into the story.

Maybe I should begin at the beginning to understand the flow of the author better...

RIP Bobby (Rubin Preetham)

2011-10-18T10:08:00.002+05:30

Bobby as he lovingly introduced himself to me around 10 yrs. ago when I was new to office and Bangalore, a good friend who made the surroundings lighter by his presence, very friendly a real lovable friend, a very sensitive guy despite the tough exterior he tried to project.

Rubin Preetham, I came to know this morning through FB updates is no longer there with us physically. It came as a shocker, tough to digest, a hard lump that just refuses to go away!!! Heart attack at this young age.. unbelievable!!!!!! Though we hardly interacted over years, it was enough just to know he was around and that would bring a smile on my face. Good bye my friend! RIP..................:(((... and this reminds as to how much shorter the life is and how unpredictable....

Aches and Cramps!!

2011-10-17T11:33:00.000+05:30

Well, my allergies are showing me literal hell than anything else :(. The past few days I have been battling this damn shortness of breath, wheezing and almost got confined to the bed but strictly decided not to go for English medicine as that would imply strong doses of antibiotics and steroids and in stead wanted to try out Ayurveda which I am told has relatively less or no side effects. So this local doctor starts me on a course and I give up all the drugs except the inhaler and go for the treatment.. wheezing is okay but God, I just could not sleep at all, at times just an hour or two of sleep and for a 8-hour must sleep kind of a person, one can imagine how zombie it all got.. so back to square and I stop Ayurveda completely.. try to ignore the coughing, taking diet precautions and trying out meditation and other non-medicinal alternatives.. alas!! but I guess it needs it own dosage to get alright.. So suddenly one night, I develop this acute cramping in the hip that I am barely able to breathe or cough or lie down on that side. I had the worst of cramps ever!!! and then the doctor lists cramps, suture bursting and hernias with the amount of coughing that I do.. trust me, it sounds really barky, bad and a nuisance to the listener and dont even ask me how it is to get it out of the body.

I must admit that in the past few days I have been a major mobile noise polluting source wherever I ended up... phew, so back on medication, steroids as usual... the moral of the story.. I am not a doctor, I need to trust my physician first and I need to get my stamina at any cost!

This and That

2011-10-11T14:44:00.002+05:30

There are a lot of things happening in life..

still coughing but happy happy not wheezing.. yay!! life seems all too good!
the kid is at school and I get a little more settled in the job.
catching up on lives of a lot of people in real life that I admire, courtesy HS - The Hot Seat!! yay!!!
back to watching a whole lot of new movies on the screen... yay!!
Reading a lot of good books, listening to music...yay!!!.
This damn sakala janula samme is beating the hell out of us, power cuts more than 8 hrs...nay!!!!
everything is twice as costly.. nay!!
travel is a mess.. we never know when we reach the destination thanks to the dharnas all over the place... NAY!!!
the crops are drying out..barely any rain..nay!!!
it feels like it is hottest summer ever despite approaching winter months. naaay!!!
looks like half the world is busy reproducing.. a lot of people I know around me and everywhere show up with a bump, not that I am complaining... loads of cutie pies on their way.. yay!!

13-14-15 - YV

2011-10-11T11:54:00.000+05:30

Yet another one in the seemingly YV marathon. Interesting fiction with good analysis and research on gynecology, hypnosis, obstetrics and infertility intermixed with love, deception, monotony, yearning, touching all these aspects forming a good story line.. I loved some of the analytic passages and explanations of the characters by the characters, a very interesting read for me..

Bharya Gunavati Satru - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-10-11T11:51:00.001+05:30

Yandamoori kind of surprised me because I was convinced that I will not like this guy's books and the one off reading that I do whenever I happen to find one in the local library should be fine. The more I read him, the more I am beginning to like. He is a very good copy-author, absorbs matter from all over the world and purges it out in his own style covering up the loose ends of the original even :).

Well, this said, I have surprised myself enough as I get sucked deeper and deeper and OA has provided me a complete set of his works, so I am gradually digging into them when I find time.

A gripping narrative with tight script, makes the reader feel with the story yet keeps guessing, a good casual read.

This is the story of a couple who make it from rags to riches.. the girl comes from a mafia backdrop but has a golden heart and is in there because of forced circumstances. How the couple meet, fall in love, get married and struggle to make the ends meet, how they have their differences and get things resolved is the essence, good narrative

Dookudu

2011-10-04T21:48:00.002+05:30

Finally after a lot of ooh-aahing from the friends across the globe about how honey drippingly cute Mahesh is and all that, managed to go and watch Dookudu in GDV, was worried I will not be getting tickets considering people were telling me the prices were around 500 to 700 in black and all. We went at around 12:30 for 2:30 show and the balcony tickets were over by then (apparently available in black for 150/-) and directed to another non-a/c theater, we took up the second alternative and braved it out in the non-a/c dabba hall but thank fully climate was not that bad or sticky!!

Coming to the movie, it might have gotten tremendous openings only because of nothing else is going on as good at this time and Mahesh did a decent movie after a looooooooooooooooong time..but it is definitely not an all-time good movie of Mahesh and I most definitely would not be watching this movie another time in theater ever and on TV too at the max just another time. It kind of looked like a patchwork movie typical of Srinu Vytla, too many punch dialogues, at times I felt as if the need to produce a punch dialogue dominated the scene requirement though some of them were really good. I have seen Mahesh look better. Mahesh's accent too seemed all patched up when and why and how it changed it left me wondering why? Leaving the logic behind, if we just want some eye candy and mindless intermittent fun, we can go for it...and another thing I liked in the movie is the way it is made a multistarrer without actual presence of those stars.. NTR, ANR, Nagarjuna, Krishna.. all the 3 bigwig movie families presented decently forgetting the actual rivalry, must say truly a bold experiment.

Sainikudu, Athidhi, Khaleja (I was kind of giving it up that he would choose good subjects any longer), though I kind of liked Khaleja the other two were yuckkkk!! Maybe going with too much of expectations ruined the fun for me or maybe not..

Ashtaavakra - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-10-04T21:28:00.000+05:30

This is one book I absolutely loved reading, though the narrative is a bit shaky in the beginning, I felt all the loose ends are tied up beautifully.. good reading considering as a child i was a sucker for such evil devil type of movies in Telugu..

Enjoyed re-reading this book after a long time.

Amma - Maxim Gorky - Translated by Krovvidi Linga Raju

2011-09-30T15:44:00.000+05:30

I bought Mother, English one a long ago but could not read it and then I dont even know where it is currently. I lost some books in the flash floods back in 2000 in Hyderabad, a lot of books were given away when I moved to US after wedding :(((... sob, sob, sob.. and a lot more when the brother was moving from India to Canada and now to Norway for good!!! and now am back to building a library from scratch but now I know when I want to get rid of them for whatever reason, where they are supposed to go, to the local govt. library.

Well, for the little history here, OA (other adult, the abbr. flicked from the famous Madmomma) has started his personal library collection and there are quite a few Telugu books with him, so each time he visits, I get a few of them along with the BL books :), so while he plays with the kid, I make the most of the time reading them out.

I am neither a hardcore communist nor an extremist of any kind though I have many wild and violent ideas myself and usually refrain reading too much of rebel books thanks to my already notorious rebel nature. So this is the first of a kind read for me. I am very much impressed by the way the author narrates the life and times during the revolutionary times in Russia, it is a very good read, gives us an insight of lives of those revolutionaries, how they are born, what they had to face, what happened to them. This book deals with the transition of a mother or one such revolutionary Pavel from a very soft and easily scared mouse of a woman to a fearless revolutionary herself. The most touching narration with attention to details. The book is actually based on real life incidents of May Day march in 1902 at Sarmavo and subsequent trials of the members involved.

I am intrigued as to the reason why the author chose Nilovna, the mother as a protoganist and not Pavel to bring about more fervor but then again this angle of the story from the eyes of a mother or a woman who is illiterate, had lived a meek life with a wife-beating husband husband of whom the entire neighborhood was scared of. The way her life changes, every little subtle and strong emotion is portrayed just left me awe struck.. there is complete justification to the characters and the way they feel. The fight against exploitation, the dream of working class to get their bare minimum rights, not be oppressed, to come out of the clutches of burgeois system, raises their voice against the rich blood-sucking management. This novel not just involves the working class but also the farmers who were not as active but still they were part of the socialist movement.

The story begins after the death of the husband dies, leaving the son and the mother alone. The son first gets into his drunken father footsteps but gradually gets out of it and becomes a part of a socialist group, brings forbidden books to his house and then gradually his like-minded socialist activist friends keep trickling in the house and the discussions, their meetings and everything takes place with the mother in the house which greatly influence the mother. The son keeps the mother abreast of what he is doing. The mother is initially really scared but then gradually listening to the friends and being there at the gatherings musters up courage and the how she becomes a part of it all, becomes a messenger herself distributing the forbidden leaflets to the activists spread across the place in various hidings in various disguises. Various characters you come across in the novel, the friend Androi, or khokhol an Ukranian with whom the mother forms a bond and who eventually comes down to stay with the mother and son, how both of them get arrested in the May Day march, the subtle love angle of Sasha and Pavel which is never really expressed just understood, the way people take the cause to their heart, the way the spies are tackled, everything takes you into another world... The trial that involves them and the ending finally how the mother gets caught when she tries to distribute a suitcase-ful of leaflets of the forbidden trial and the way the ending is left hanging really touched me to the core! Not even an ocean of blood can drown the truth! her words as she chokes on her blood as she is beaten badly at the end shows her undying spirit! Her journey from a timid woman to an admirer of brave people to being admired by many for her heroic deeds is explained in an awesome manner and I feel it all kind of gives credibility to the movement as such in the eyes of the reader without being overtly dramatic.

There are certain points or observations that I liked very much in the book... the fact that the people living in worst of hardships are actually the kindest to the fellow humanbeings.

"Jesus Keerthi kosam praanalarpinche manushule lekapote, prabhuve undevaadu kaademo".. how very true, this one sentence to be brings about what actual communism is.. it is not arguing about being Godless or whatever, it just gives a lot more importance to the man or the people who make the "God" him.

Basically, I loved all the inner feelings of the mother, the thought process that makes her what she becomes eventually.

A book that I really enjoyed reading despite of being a translation! A book worth reading!

Cheekatlo Suryudu - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-09-27T15:56:00.000+05:30

An attempt of YV in science fiction, an okay read. The story is about life some millions of light years away from our galaxy which plans to take the solar energy to generate its own power thereby weakening the sun and expediting the process of sun's self burning theory putting the living beings on earth at risk. The story is set centuries ahead of us, the space travel and add to a love triangle, the book makes an okay read with some inputs about the space language and stuff to get the user acquainted with the lingo.. good effort to begin with!

Okkadu - Inaganti Venkatrao - A political biography of CBN

2011-09-23T10:30:00.000+05:30

Well, this was a long pending read considering my love for biographies and of course admiration for CBN. Maybe I passed it on unknowingly but the kids loves him to..crisp, yellow shirt and white beard.. it is Chandra Babu Naidu for her, any time any day she just stops and comes running if he sees him on TV, on paper anywhere, I guess one dedicated fan of his she is. One thing I attribute this to is her love for yellow :).

Coming to the book, it begins with the Alipiri incident of 2003, a people's war attack on him and the dwells into the group, its work mode and the reason it targets CBN in their hit list. One reason I like this book, it does seem like a very pro-CBN write up. It probes into his political career, a little bit of life in between but by and large focuses on his decisions and their outcomes analyzing the pros and cons. No where did the author makes us feel that he is a CBN sycophant and that is what hooks me on it. Even though it is a political biography I did not feel bored reading it. One because it portrays CBN as a statesman rather than a politician. It brings out nicely the way he combined politics with administration and good governance in implementation began with him.

A very good to read nonobjectively and base an opinion!!!

Me on CBN

He knew very well that he neither had the charisma or the following of NTR or the enormous political history of Congress to get through into politics when he came to cross-roads with extra-parliamentary forces like CBN. I would not totally agree and neither would he that it was totally in public interest he did all that he did. The reason I like the guy is he took public interest along with his personal goals to carve an undeniable niche for himself.

I remember feeling good about Hyderabad each time I came down from Bangalore, something new, something fresh. I remember the way he has taken AP from a dot on the map to the notice of bigwigs in the financial hubs of the world. I remember the discipline he brought in the govt. offices... unbelievable. For the first time in life govt. employees were actually working, things were getting done. I saw that clear change because it was about the same period was running around for some certificates and stuff and was shocked to see prompt responses, things that actually took days and months were actually getting done. The staff are actually found in the seats when we approach them.. For the first time, I witnessed a politician who actually worked and made people work.. and needless to say, fell in love with him and also I revel in the fact that our birthdays are just 2 days apart, maybe the planetary power or something but something really clicks.

He is cunning, fine but without that he wont survive in that place.

I personally have this feeling that he focused all energy and financial reserves of the state to develop just Hyderabad and thereby fueling this war for Hyderabad but then gradually when I think deeper and analyze, he was looking at overall development and it is just that he did not have enough time. Hyd and Vza pre and post CBN is a proof in itself. I would love CBN and JP join hands, blending in their ideologies and work out some kind of a partnership and evolve into some power to reckon politically...

sigggghh... speaking of dreams!!!

Antharmukham - Yandamoori Veerendranath

2011-09-23T09:41:00.000+05:30

The cover of the book claims it to be the author's career best novel and maybe it is. To me, YV is a copycat, knows the pulse of the readers and gets inspired by foreign authors and introduces them to Telugu audience with his own style of writing period. I have watched this program Antarmukham in Maa TV for a while, got intrigued and wanted to a part of it and when I mailed up, got an instant reply from the author as to the format of the show but unfortunately, it was all scripted and he was just anchoring the show and presenting it but had no choice in selecting the participants and also by then all the episodes were canned and the program was done with!

Well coming back to the book, this is obviously yet another inspired work the source being "The outsider" by Albert Camus. It is in fact a wonderful book about existentialism. Like they say, personality is a mask. A man is certainly not what he portrays himself to be. He has various aspects within himself, some known to him and some unknown. This book deals with the inner thoughts and feelings of the protagonist who at the beginning of the book has lived his life and is confined to the bed, deathbed actually and actually dies at one point but comes back to earth getting the boon from the God that there is no death for him and what happens in front of his eyes and what goes in the back of his mind regarding his past and present. The harsh reality and everything is what makes the book interesting.

The author combines with this, his own personal note where he mentions an incident which provoked him to write this book.

All in all, a good book to read. The protaganist seemed close to me, it was like I knew this guy or maybe it was me thinking as a guy in that era :) or something like that, full of thoughts, racing thoughts, practicality aspect and some unconventional decisions.

The Day of The Jackal - Frederick Forsyth

2011-09-23T09:25:00.001+05:30

For a thriller lover like me Frederick Forsyth is a boon :). Just totally totally loved this book of his when I read it the first time around and wanted to read a few more of his books but somehow could not!

This book is about a professional killer/assassin who is hired by a French Terrorist Group OAS to kill the president of France. It is an out and out fiction except for the way of life led by the French President and it also brings out the loop hole in issuing passports, not checking the death certificates when issuing a passport and a few such things. I liked the ending where it is leaves out giving the info about the true identity of the assassin.

I watched the movie first and then the book and no points for guessing, I love the book better but when I watched the movie, it was no less :), so take a pick whatever, if you love thrillers, this author might be the one for you :).

Accidental Time Traveler - Sharon Griffiths

2011-09-23T09:12:00.001+05:30

Well, thanks to my platinum membership in British Library I am getting to read a lot of British Authors these days, the English is better structured in terms of syntax and grammar and no real dramatic change so the transition has been easy :).

Loved this fiction work of Sharon Griffiths. The transition between the past and present and blending it beautifully in a story, that mystery element well preserved is what I liked the best in the book. It is about a journalist Rosie who has this serious row with her committed boyfriend and suddenly she finds herself in a house in 1950s, minus the accessories and peripherals of life like a cell phone, TV or any latest gadgets that make life easy and how she begins life thinking she was in some kind of a reality show like Big Brother and the characters that she sees, the way she is torn between, past and present, going in and out of the conscious semi conscious modes is well written. A good read after a long time. Thoroughly enjoyed it.. :).

The Hammer of God - Arthur C. Clarke

2011-09-23T09:06:00.000+05:30

It is not my typical read, not much into space fiction and certainly not this khichdi kind of a read (personal feeling). It is about Robert Singh, an asteroid named Kali which is headed towards earth and how this Robert Singh tries to change its path and all that... MAYBE of interest to someone with an interest in astrophysics related fiction but certainly not for me.

For the most part, my thoughts and the links kept disconnecting, largely because it did not in any way interest me :(.. could have read it in a better frame of mind or at more leisure and MAYBE that would have made some difference but overall.. not my type.

House Surgeon - Kommuri Venu Gopal Rao

2011-09-23T09:01:00.000+05:30

Touted to be an investigative medical journal, it did not present itself as a lucrative read to me a hardcore Robin Cook type of reader :) but still in that time and age, it must have been an investigative one in Telugu literature. The story line revolves around a young house surgeon, the journey of his life and the years of his house surgery and give us a peek into the life of medicos.

An okay read .

Naanna - Movie Review

2011-09-14T13:25:00.000+05:30

I am a die-hard movie maniac, can watch a movie any number of times and cry and laugh with the same intensity as the first viewing and actually really enjoy watching movies... well, this is a redundant loop that I get into each time I mention movies...

It has been a while since I watched it but took time now to write about it :).

Naanna, we watched because of the title, the theater was the most dabba-est one, even when compared to our Poornima Dabba.. Ganga Mahal in GDW, some seats taken out... no a/c, open door, old world kind of a theater just opposite one of the poshest theaters, Bommarillu, YVS Chowdary's theater which is a class apart from this one. Forgetting the appearance of the theater.. there were around 10 people in all in the theater.. 3 families to be precise :).

Though the movie is kind of a rip off of "I am Sam" a Sean Penn movie, it touched a nerve somewhere, loved the movie... the actors were simply superb... the kid was the best in all, just burst into tears seeing the kid mime in the court room in the climax.. superb acting!!! Vikram did his best, Sara, the kid was plain awesome.. she reminded me of Sreya in certain angles :), well then again, all kids in similar dressing look the same to me :). Anushka was good too... other than that crazy song and yearning for Vikram, everything in the movie, neat!!!! well again, the song and situation is crazy but the picturization I like like like...

The story line is about the struggle of a developmentally delayed father whose mental age stops at 7, fighting to get the custody of his daughter... touching!!!

kaakulu enduku nallagaa untay naana - endalo tirigutay kada..
chetlu endugu podugga unnay - valla daddy podugu kada :).
Enugu endugu laavugaa untundi - adi boledanta tintundi kada... chaala chaaala chaaaaaaaaaaaala nacchindi, simple unrealistic answers that seem so apt for the kid, being a kid with the kids, not theoretically practically.

The kid went crazy with that okanoka oorulona song.. check the trailer here.. and I loved that superb kaaki raaaju song :).

Blogs on Issues

2011-09-07T11:01:00.001+05:30

To begin the posts for Tejaswee and IHM that I intend to do in the process giving words to my random racing thoughts in a specific direction on a specific topic, I begin here with my opinion on giving back and helping out... list of blogs on gender issues, women empowerment etc.

I am aware certain issues that plague children, women, disabled, destitute and poverty-stricken in this nation but am not really a person who would actually go looking through to learn more of them and try to analyze the solutions they have offered. In stead, I believe in tackling the issues, that happen right in front of my eyes. We would most certainly be called meddlesome, idle, cranky women high on hormone surge if we start involve on any particular issue at grass root level but I still strongly believe that the change has to begin with me, my outlook, my way of leading my own life. It is easy to lecture but tough to follow!

Alternatively, the best way to get into giving back to the society is through organizations also set up with a basic framework. Easy, pick one of your choice and see what you can do and get that info as much as possible from the sources available on the net and see in which way you can contribute, volunteering giving your time or money whatever be your preference.

To me, IHM is one blog that handles a wide variety of issues and that is more than enough for my quota of reading as I am not a serious issue-blog reader.

Gender issues, in particular, I might seem to be a feminist at a glance but not really, I take the gender bias issues like any other issue with the same amount of passion, nothing much, nothing less. To me basic needs come first and then the need for empowerment, be it man, woman or a child. Agreed, the plight of women and all but I am yet to get there!

In Memory of Tejaswee..

2011-09-06T13:14:00.003+05:30

The Indian Homemaker, aka.. IHM has launched contest and awards in memory of her loving daughter Tejaswi who left this world for her heavenly abode last year. Check here. I have been planning to do some posts in the categories mentioned in the blog for a while but somehow it slipped my mind and laid there among the numerous to-do, yet-to-start projects that keep floating on in my mind until today I saw a reminder in IHM's blog. I got to know Tejaswee very late, her letter to future shows her love for life and liveliness and there is a place etched in my heart forever.

It is painful to move on for a mother when the child who came out of her own flesh and blood and grew up into a beautiful individual inside out just vanishes into thin air... memories haunt.. pain hits in waves, here it comes and here it goes.. grief, mourning, gloom everywhere. It is such an inexplicable feeling. I felt a sharp, stabbing pain when my grandmother passed away and can relate to it in a way, It gives me shudders thinking it is multifold for a mother... that feeling of guilt of the daughter taking leave before her, in front of her own eyes, that helplessness, that shock of it all. I admire the way IHM handled all this, she grieved and let it go, drained out her emotions before they drained her out and is getting involved in a lot of things, awareness, helping out people in distress while fighting her own battles. She is one strong lady who moves forward despite everything and is trying to move on, letting her daughter's soul free, I am sure Tejaswee is going to be proud of it all, the way she is going on with it, working for a cause in the name of her daughter, keeping her memories alive. I see it like this, she got the daughter into the world, had a wonderful time with her and then the kid suddenly disappears and is back within her, for the lifetime, in every fabric of her being!

As my tribute to Tejaswee, I intend to do a post on all the topics enlisted out in the categories, not for the contest, but for her. So, IHM and Tejaswee, this is for you both...

Idli, Orchid, Will Power - Vithal Kamat

2011-08-26T08:42:00.001+05:30

This is an awesome book for aspiring entrepreneurs. I wanted to get hold of the original book written by Mr. Kamat. It had been in my Wishlist of Flipkart for a while but stayed there because of the vow to complete what I have before I buy something new. But when I happened to get a book, in Telugu, translated by Yandamoori Veerendranath, from a friend, I just jumped with joy and it sure did not disappoint me. I usually refrain from reading translations when I can get hold of an original and understand the language it is originally written but this is an exception for the above stated reasons.

It is written in a simple and modest language and tone, appears to come straight from the heart with so many valuable lessons to pick up from.. Good read for biography lovers and even otherwise too.

It is by the way Idly, Wada, Aakasam in Telugu.

Asamardhuni Jeeva Yatra - Tripuraneni Gopichand

2011-08-23T08:11:00.000+05:30

The book is supposedly a classic breakthrough in the modern Telugu literature, text book. The book tackles each character with an ease, the interaction between characters, the inner friction of the characters, the life and times of an average person in the society who is unable to come to terms with reality and his inner being, living in his own world, seemingly a misfit in the society's fixed prototypes. A lot of things impact the life of an individual and it is up to that person to build a coping mechanism and not to fall into an abyss. The book tackles the psych of such confused individual "seetaramarao" his rise and fall and the lessons for us to learn from him.

A good read, not for light readers.

On a killing spree

2011-08-22T12:30:00.001+05:30

Life in village comes with its highs and lows.. the pollution-free, close to nature lazy laid back life comes with its scary aspect as well.. While we enjoy the birds, flowers, greenery, etc., I am equally on my toes all the time keeping a lot of things at a safe distance..

the birds and their early morning ablutions make the front yard stink if unwashed even for a day!.
the crows snatch away stuff from kid's hands all the time, anything light weight left unattended gets picked up by them, half the day goes in shooing them away.
hens and rats dig the mud from the plant exposing the roots.
one keeps stumbling on frogs and many more frogs all the time, from the smallest to the largest and fattest size.
the insects that circle the lights at night-times make it impossible to open the doors at times with the lights on.
the houseflies round the year :(.
mosquitoes that invade the houses during planting and harvesting crop seasons.
the goats, calves, sheep, buffaloes, cows, etc. that run into the house and eat off my planted plants the moment the gate is left open by mistake.
the caterpillars during the rainy and winter seasons.
red and black ants round the year.
parrots and mynas that bite off the fruit from the trees and spill all over the yard..
the wasps that build nests within no time.
spiders weaving the webs.
termites biting off wood some place all the time....
the occasional scorpions, centipedes, etc. and the list goes on and on and on... and not to forget the scariest of all... the snakes!!!

So round the year, every single day one finds me on a killing spree...
**houseflies, squatting them, shooing them, spraying them and putting those medicated sugar cubes in corners... even clean the floor every single day with Lyzol, dettol, and scented phenyl :(.
** Shooing the crows and cranes using fire crackers every once in a while, wishing that they abandon their nests and find a home somewhere in an undisturbed area among so many abandoned homes.
**destroying the wasp nests, spider webs with a broom and a stick.
**draw Lakshman Rekhas all around the walls on the house for ants.
**use sambrani and create smoke for the mosquitoes to run out of the house, use nets at night, keep good night repellents and keeping the bedroom doors closed for a while and not to forget the mosquito bat battles.
**kill the caterpillars at sight because when they come in contact with human skin give a terrible itch and a rash.. those beautiful to-be butterflies killed ruthlessly :(.
**shoo the chicken and cattle away, keep the doors barred.
**use ratkill periodically in the yard and in the kitchen, away from kid's reach!

So, any given time you find me killing something or the other from the time I wake up to sleep. I could not bring myself to do that earlier but now I am pro in that. For a person like me, who never saw a snake other than in snake parks or on TV or movies, seeing it unwarranted itself was a shock of my life. I had never set my eyes on one until I actually came to live here. Now, with my killing expertise and as the need of the hour warrants, I even kill them. Horror of horrors, I never thought that I would do that. The moment I saw the snake, my reflex was kill it before it harms the kid!! just KILL IT.. yes, I killed a snake a month or so ago. For a snake-movie lover like me, for a girl brought up with snake revenge stories and all, I killed one with my own hands and when one more got into a crack in the wall, I filled it with cement and buried it forever. For people in village, it is a common thing but for me.. it is a biiiiiiig issue, something that signifies how much I have changed as a person, how much practicality has set in, how much I value my life more than anything and beneath all that peace-loving exterior that I portray, I am actually a killer.

I kill them because I perceive a harm from them to me.. if there were to be a court in the animal/insect/reptile kingdom, I would be hung every hour!.. but then again life is survival of the fittest and struggle for survival even at the cost of other lives...

2011-08-12T13:50:00.000+05:30

Watch at 13:23...

This was forwarded by a buddy in my online adda ;) and is the scene I loved the most... both in reel and real life.... the sweetest gesture, something which I might have watched over a 100 times :).

the run, the smile, the genuineness of it all.... !! Those who haven't already guessed it is Jyothika's mom and elder sis he was running to take photo with :). Do I need to say Surya is my favorite hero time and again :).

Nerusu - C. Sujatha Kadhalu

2011-08-11T09:33:00.000+05:30

Read this book from library, a collect of short stories, some I could understand and relate to well, some which took time to sink in. The author is not a seasoned writer as per the foreword and it shows that the words come from the core of the heart. At a glance over the book and stories, the author comes across as a feminist or a communist but I guess she is a humanist :). Good read.

However, there is something that I do not really understand... what does Nerusu mean, I tried to find the meaning in the story titled nerusu but of no use. any one has any ideas?

The story titled Nerusu is along these lines... It is about 2 friends, one a journalist and other a domestic help abroad. The helping aide is resisting her going to Arab countries to work because she not only does manual labor but is also exploited sexually too, she finds neither pleasure nor pain to it and is kind of blanked out with the events that happen to her and the body even to the extent that the increasing number of abortions or the fact that there is a life that she kills each time does not really sink into her. She has to go because of the circumstances at home, because she needs to clear the loans of her family back home, her life is at a stake for mere 6K that is sent to her family. She goes to her friend before getting into flight to get back to work. In the city, the friend takes a leave from the office citing the reason of her friend to the boss who gives a hint that she needs to be there for support morally but the boss here wants a cover page story of the helpless girl's plight and her feelings and the friend had to agree because she would lose the job otherwise. Both the girls succumb to the pressures around them... end up doing what they least want to do though the means are different they are oppressed, there is pain waiting to burst out, there are tears rolling out but still some day there is a hope.

The subtle yet strong hint that in this business-like world people are the commodities...

the story ends with laughter, the laughter to cover tears, sorrow... !!
Vimala - what do you want to buy when coming back
Karuna - work for 2 years, clear the loans, work for another two buy a husband
and buy a lot of scents...
Vimala - Get me some too.. I need to cover the stink from me too. I am the dirt, I guess no matter what that odor will never leave me.. "Nene oka durgandham" :(
Karuna - Pls. dont say so... let us do one thing we will buy a husband each and they burst into peels of laughter..

Really really touching... but still I dont get the meaning of Nerusu... any help????

Karpoora Kalika - Aadimadhyam Ramanamma

2011-08-11T08:55:00.000+05:30

This is a novel of the author Ramanamma garu who expired in year 1996 leading a full life. This book came as a serial in 1986 in Andhra Jyothi. Her son now brings it to print as a tribute to her writing and her.

It is the story about an extremely beautiful girl admitted to a mental asylum, the story unveils in bits and pieces of flash backs when a new doctor comes to the hospital and he turns out to be the girl's father's sister's son.. menatta koduku. It is a typical household drama with a different twist. Hema, the protagonist's father's first wife dies and he marries another lady to take care of Hema, the lady is very kind and looks after her as her own daughter but due to some misunderstandings, the wife and his sister have an argument which leads to upturning of life of everyone involved. To take revenge on his wife for insulting his sister, the father secretly sends money to his sister to educate her son who he wants to be married to Hema, all unbeknownst to the family and with his sudden death the family is on roads, the sister never looks back and the now helpless family is shattered, what events lead to her mental instability and finally her death is all about the story.. a very quick and okay read..

Chimata Music..

2011-08-07T16:30:00.001+05:30

I am not really a tech savvy person and it was not until recently that i learnt to write a CD and stuff, yes, I blog and yes I work on the net and spend a whole lot of time on the net but not really techie, techie.. In fact, each time I run into a problem it is either my bro or Dileep who help me out with that... I just know what I need to know, nothing much, very basic to the point knowledge.

I was introduced to this online listening a while ago to Raaga by a few friends but when it comes to old songs, my maama has suggested this Chimata music and what I really like about this site and listening to songs on it is that it gives that old world feeling, that khich khich noise which used to come when we used to listen to radio as children in grandmother's house, that not really crystal clear voice recording, something that takes me to my childhood. In this world of clarity and technology, it feels good to remember the old world charm and so it is Chimata for me :).. give it a try when you find time.

Vipula - One of the current best reads

2011-08-07T15:58:00.001+05:30

Check out the latest link here

I dont really remember when I first got to read Vipula, I was still in school and fell in love with the wide variety of stories, translated and original from languages across India and world. The translations are usually of very good quality, the content great. For a person who kind of hates reading translations because of losing the essence, they really are great as they dont really put me off, they kind of retain their nativity even through conversion and that is the best part about it.

It has a good mix of stories and special articles.

Of the newest lot, I love reading Kadhakula File which gives a short briefing of the author and one of their works similar to one of my favorite parts in Navya, the weekly from AndhraJyothi group.
Pustaka Sameeksha also gives me a good review of latest Telugu releases. Mushaaira, a corner for poetry (which I personally cannot really enjoy that much :) as I lack sensitivity to that aspect of writing).

The best and the latest Ee kadha meede which gives an intro scene of a story and leaves it to the imagination of the readers/writers inviting entries to complete it, the best of which is published in the next month. This one ignites the spark in me to write but I procrastinate and it is time for the next release already :))))... some day maybe!!

A good and must read if you happen to like Telugu stories, a wide variety with quality, totally awesome package.

Marokadu, mari konni kadhalu - K.V.S. Verma

2011-08-07T15:44:00.001+05:30

A collection of 18 short stories, very impressive, sets one thinking, small day to day stuff to deep truths of existence, survival and many more. Loved majority of them, very intense content in simple wording. One of the books that crave for more such reading.

Vaikuntha Paali - KRK Mohan

2011-08-07T15:37:00.001+05:30

An average Telugu novel which reminds me of some old Telugu movie.. story of a boy born in a very poor family, whose parents and the family dies under various circumstances, by and large evils of poverty. A twist of fate leads him to be one of the top-rated businessmen and philanthropists in the country. The rise and fall of a guy who has seen almost everything in life and finally succumbs to the evil shades of his actual business, smuggling!

Child Sexual Abuse - A good video!

2011-08-04T07:11:00.006+05:30

Check out!

Check out! Loved the tactful and sensitive manner in which Dr. Bhooshan has handled the kids. He sounded approachable, friendly and cool to the kids without scaring them with the lecture kind of a feel, just cool casual talk making them aware of the most practical thing to protect themselves, amazing, hats off to the creators of the video.

It is a good practice to teach the kids from a very young age, very very young to begin with in my personal opinion, to protect themselves, to let them know it is okay to tell any concerns to the trusted ones, it is okay that they trust the parents with stuff they are subjected to. It is our job to convince them that it is not a crime or something wrong if someone else does something wrong to them, their bodies, their feelings. They need to get out of that guilt and fear and feel free to express and get help and security.

I practice little things like
** Talking to the kid while washing her bum and tell her that only mom, grandma or xyz should be allowed to touch the bottom, no one else.. every day, just like that, not an advise, just some casual talk.
**Same ritual at bath time when cleaning up the private parts, undressing, and simple things like not letting any new person, that mamma does not know to remove her clothing.
**Toilet training, bathing are two periods when I think the topic can be popped without sounding preachy, casual yet convincing time to have a firm talk without actually scaring the kid.

Please pass it on!!

Meghama Dehama

2011-07-30T15:36:00.001+05:30

Another song in that mood....

Movie: Manchu Pallaki.. HERE

Meghama dehamaa, meravakey ee kshanam
merisinaa kurisinaa karugu nee jeevanam -meghama-

merupulato paatu urumulugaa
danirisa ,rima danisa, danipagaa
moogaboye jeeva swaramuluga
vekuva jaamuna vennela marakalugaa
repati vaakita muggulugaa ...aaa..
smrutilo migile navvulugaa
vesavilo manchu pallakigaa - meghama-

penugaaliki pellichoopu
puvvu raalina velaa kalyaanam
andaaka aaraatam.. aasalato perantam
naakoka poomaala tevaali nuvvu
naakoka poomaala tevaali nuvvu
adi enduko!!! - meghama-

awesome!!

O Mahaatma O Maharshi

2011-07-30T15:24:00.001+05:30

Movie: Aakali Rajyam
Singer: SPB

This is one song that takes me to a trance each time I listen to it. I close my eyes and go to another world altogether.. HERE

oh mahaatma....oh maharshi
yedi cheekati, yedi veluturu
yedi jeevitamedi mrutyuvu
yedi punyam, yedi papam
yedi narakam, yedi naakam
yedi satyam, yedasatyam
yedanityam, yedi nityam
yedi yekam, yedanekam
yedi kaaranamedi kaaryam -Oh Mahaatma-

yedi telupu, yedi nalupu
yedi gaanam, yedi mounam
yedi naadi, yedi needi
yedi neethi, yedi nethi
ninna swapnam neti satyam
neti khedam, repu raagam
oke kaanthi, oke santhi - Oh Maharshi-

One of the really really wonderful movies I have seen! Written by Sri Sri... superb, cant just find superlatives to express the feeling.

Women, bold, brash, rash!!!!

2011-07-30T10:00:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I had some free time on hand when the kid recovering from fever, slept for a while, no jobs in the queue and the need to fight daytime sleep topping the list and happened to catch on with Open Heart with Renuka Chowdary, the firebrand lady politician who did and does things out of the box and unheard of to a normal typical Telugu lady...

Coincidentally, through a link shared by a friend on FB I figure out that her father had expired and she lit the pyre yesterday. Inspiring and great, since she is a well-known person and hence paving a way for many ladies who would actually love to do that, way to go Renuka!!!

To me, Renuka means a first-class Nautanki and definitely a very bold lady! I say Nautanki because when she is not seriously fighting/arguing/thrashing someone she is doing just that, I find her facial expressions funny, her feeling shy a bit too odd for the image she tries to portray :).

I have heard anecdotes about her like her bike riding, the photos of her on a tractor, thrashing people, throwing stones and stuff like that and after that her association with women protection bill from domestic violence which came under much scrutiny, which has its own misusers but most certainly a large chunk of abused getting benefit from. In fact, it is the only bill against such so it is really precious one and she being there for it adds a lot more! I really have seen parents who kind of breathe a sigh of relief and thank that lady for her efforts and genuine cases have been helped quite a lot and the terror of that bill keeps many not to dare doing so.

Her pub bharo was something that is undigestable to me to an extent but I guess to be heard such things are needed.

I have come to realize of late that for a woman to enter politics there are a lot of things that she needs to face, the first and foremost criticism from the fellow-women who would call her forward and fast for setting politics ahead of the family. In a man eat man world, for a woman to gain foothold is a task in itself and if she is able to do that, well she has something!!!

Maatalto

2011-07-29T08:13:00.000+05:30

Awesomeness at its best!! HERE

Lyrics by Suddala Ashok Teja... the lyrics mean what music actually means to me in a way!!!
Singer: Pranavi

Movie: Amma Cheppindi

Maatalto swaraale shikaarukelte geetam
andamga nisabdam talonchukunte sangeetam!!
Sangeetamto cheste sneham, palikindalaa geetam - maatalto -

kaagitaalalo nidurapoye kammani maate
kaasta lemmani ilayaraajaa tune kadutunte
paatalle egiri raada... nee gunde gundaipodaa
Sangeetamto cheste sneham, hrudyaram layale geetam -maatalto-

goru muddalo kalipi pette gaaramoka paata
paatasaalalo modata nerpe paathamoka paata
ooyalani oopunu paate, devudini nerpunu paate
sangeetamto cheste sneham, bratukanta o geetam - maatalto-

Ammagaa korukuntunnaa..

2011-07-29T08:05:00.000+05:30

My most favorite birthday song!!!

HERE.

Ammaga korukuntunna korike padukuntunna, ammaga korukuntunna korike padukuntunna
noorellu jarapalani nuvu puttinaa rojuni
happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you
happy birthday chinni kanna, happy birthday to you

Kalatalerugani lokamlo, kaalamaagipote
vannetaggani chandrudilaa nuvvu velugutunte
pratee nela oke kalaa nee paala navvuto
taarale neeku aakshinthalai, talli devenalu haratulai, noorellu jarapaalani nuvvu puttinaa rojuni
happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you
happy birthday chinni kanna.. happy birthday to you

Yeduru chudani kanukale daachi unchenura, malupu malupulo jeevitame, neeku icchenura
nuvve kada ee ammaki oka pedda kanuka
neeku emivvagalananta nenu aasinchadam tappa, noorellu jarapalani nuvvu puttina rojuni

happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday chinni kanna..happy birthday to you!!

Evaremainaa ananee vinaku

2011-07-29T07:52:00.000+05:30

Movie: Amma Cheppindi
Singer: Bombay JayaSree

awesome lyrics by ShivaSakti Dutta

HERE.

Evaremainaa ananee vinaku..aaa..uuuu..
nuvveraa amma kannula velugu

Endallo vaanallo, nenegaa nee godugu
choostundee lokam mecchi nuvu vese prati adugu ..aha, aa...

padi talalunnaa.. emiti laabham, talapulu raakshasamaite
pai maataloto.. panemundiraa, nuvve raamunivaite
tuduchukoraa kannellanee, cheruputaayee nee navvuni
diddukoraa ee maatanee, neeku nuvve, saati anee.. hmmm..

ento dooram egaraledugaa tana rekkalato aa pakshi
chukkala daaka, edugutaaduraa asalegaraleni ee manishi
amma paina nee nammakam, niluputundi ninnepudo
andarani antettunaa, ambaraana, dhruva taaragaa... aaa.. uuu..

It is good sometimes not here so very soft and melodious voices but those which suit the character and the mood but something that touches your heart, it is one of those songs.. Keeravani renders some heart-touching music as usual!

Amma Cheppindi

2011-07-29T07:41:00.001+05:30

This is one movie I so love to watch, different from the routine. The first time I went to see it in a theater with Caps and remember crying all the way back home with a very embarrassed Caps :) and from there on each time I see the movie I cry loads, know the story line very well, even each and every dialogue, know what to expect but just still!!!

When someone asks why watch the movie when you cry so much, my logic. It is a shame not to watch those wonderful performances when it is being aired for free ;).. that crazy I am for the movie. The songs are too good too :).

Movie: Amma Cheppindi... HERE

promise chesthunna forget them all, nuvve naa boyfriend nene nee girl..
lets go on a date and party all night long...uhmmm!!

vasthaavaa naato somewhere daakaa, vuntaavaa naato sometime daakaa..
ee bhoomi gundramani inkosaari telise daakaa

toorpuki potoopotoo unte padamara vasthundee...understood?..understood..understood!!
kindaki diguthoo diguthoo unte uttaram vasthundee.. understood.. upperstood!!

kashtaalu eeduthunte sukhatheeraalu cherukuntaam, aunantaavaa kaadantaavaa
east or west you are the best.. i am very happy happy. Vastaale neeto anywhere daakaa
vuntaale neeto anytime daakaa..letayyindanee nidrapommani amma nanne pilichedaakaa

needaga ontaritaname neeto untunte..neekkoodaa friend unnatte..
nee friende naa friend aithe, nuvvu nenu friendsegaa..everyday.. friendship day!!

gadiyaaram mullu laaga chutti veddaamu kaalamantaa..
aagakaa, alavakaa

east or west you are the best..i am very sleepy sleepy..
vasthaale neeto...uhhm..hhmmm.

SSSHHhhhhhhh.....

2011-07-13T07:20:00.002+05:30

One thing I really dont like is mispronouncing a person's name, especially more so if it comes to my name.. Vani happens to be a part of my very lengthy name and when people call it as వాని, I cringe. వాణి , I correct it instantly and feel relieved that I thankfully have another to fall back on. In fact, thanks to that, I dont really tell anyone this part of the name. Somehow, I feel like someone is pinching me :).. guess it is a quirk but it is a fact.

When I was searching for kid's name, I was pretty much sure it had to be Sreya and Rishi/Sourya, girl and boy names respectively. I thought I was very clever in picking a name that cant be mispronounced and not complicated but I guess the fate has a last laugh when people end up calling her "Shhreya".. and I am like red, blue, black all over and the kid doesnt even have a fall back name or maybe she will grow up to be less quirkier than me in that aspect. She prefers Siya all the time and refers her as same, so I guess it should be fine.. it will be, i will be fine accepting it as well,.. aaaarrghh... this damn self-hypnotizing thing is not working :).

When someone points out to correct me that the spelling is Shreya and they know a lot of them with that spelling... let me clear it to you it is Sreya as in melika sa, శ్రీ and not ష్రీ as in Sree and Srinivas, am I drilling my point right or do I need to be more specific...phew, me and my quirks!!!!

PS: Edited to Add, she is not named after SRIYA, the actress... and yeah again, her name is S-R-I-Y-A and not S-R-E-Y-A pronounced as in Sr-ae-ya, which is how the kid should be called!!

Shaayaraana si hai

2011-07-12T20:35:00.000+05:30

shaayaraanaa si hai, jindagee ki phajaa, aap bhi jindagee kaa majaa leejiye -3-
mein gajhal ban gayee aap ke saamane, shauk se ab mujhe gunagunaa leejiye

aap sunto rahe hai, mere dil ki lie, is mein benaamsi ek udaasee bhi hain
is udaasee mein naghmaa koyi chhedkar, ek bechain dilkee duwaa leejiye - Shaayaraanasi-

aap ke pyaarkaa jo bhi meyaar hain, isse kab jaanejaa mujhko inkaar hain
jis tarhaa aap chaahe, nazar aaoo mein, mujhko har rang mein aazmaa leejiye

HERE

I guess, I should stop a while and just get into the feel of it all :)... it is beautiful outside, cool breeze, a cute daughter and the songs that I love, can I ask for anything more!

Dil Detaa hai

2011-07-12T20:27:00.001+05:30

... and like they say yeh dil maange more, cant just stop at one when it comes to PTKY :).. my all time favorite music album.. so here is for more..

Dil detaa hain roro duhaayi
kisise koi pyaar naa kare
badi mehengi padegi judaayi kisise koyi pyaar naa kare

Koyi samjhe kiseeko naa apnaa
jhootaa niklegaa jeewanka sapnaa
Gaav Gaav pukaare shahnaayi, kisise koyi pyaar naa kare

Sej Pe baite roye sajaniyaa
Bhaagaye Saajnaako soutaniyaan
Haay niklaa balam harjaaye, kisise koyi pyaar naa kare

Pyaarne kucchto paagal banaayaa
aur kucch jindagee ne bhi sataayaa
Khoob apane huyi jag hasaayi, kisise koyi pyaar naa kare...

... takes me into a trance this album I tell you.

Aanewaala kal...

2011-07-12T20:17:00.000+05:30

In that mood, I listen to yet another favorite of mine...

Aanewaala pal from Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad Aayi

aane waalaa kal ek sapnaa hai, guzraa huaa kal bas ek apanaa hai

ham guzre kal mein rahte hain, yaadon ke sab jugnoo jangal mein rehte hain -aanewaala kal-

daaman see sakte hai jo jakhmonko seena jaante ho

jeena unkaa jeena hai, jo yaadon mein jeena jaante ho

jin taaronko raaton mein uth uthke gagan mein dhoondh teho

jin kaliyonko phoolonko jaa jaake chaman mein dhoondh teho

woh phool, woh kaliyaan, woh taare aanchal mein rahte hai

hum pyaar ki bijl lekar baadal mein rahte hai -aanewala kal-

mere tanman ke armaan apne tanmanse poochho

inakii chunchun kaa matalab dilki dhadakan se poochho

duniyaa saare zamane lele daulat lele khazaane lele

loot sakena jisko zamaanaa hamko ekpal aisaa dede

pyaa ke rangin mausam sab jis pal mein rahte hain

waqt ke sachche nagmein jis pal mein rahte hain -aane vaalaa kal-

Check it out HERE

Kuch to log kahenge..

2011-07-12T20:09:00.000+05:30

There is music in every mode of life, a lyric for everything, a soothing note for every occasion to get you through it. What will I be without music.. well, still about the same, surviving but not actually living maybe :).

Movie: Aradhana

kuchh to log kahenge, logon kaa kaam hain kehna
chhodo bekaar ki baato mein kahi beet najaaye raina - kuch -

kuchh reet jagat ki aisi hai, har ek subah kee shaam huyee
tu kaun hai, tera naam hain kya, sitaa bhi yahaa badanaam huyee
Phir kyon sansaar ki baatonse bheeg gaye tere nainaa - kuch -

hamko jo taane dete hai, ham khoye hain in rangraliyo mein
hamne unko bhi chhup chhup ke aate dekha in galiyon mein
yeh sach hain jhuthi baat nahee tum bolo yeh sach hain naa - kuch -

Awesome song!!!

Sick!!!

2011-07-12T11:29:00.000+05:30

Of late, over years the one vital thing that I have to realize the point that people will TALK... just dont get it through the head. When you know you are right, when you are sure you are not causing any harm to any other individual, just go ahead with it. But each time, I stretch my boundaries of tolerance, people seem to stretch it a bit too far.. I just feel like screaming at rooftops just to shut the f&^9 up and get to hell, yes, I am fuming, not just frustrated and plain disgusted.

When I now hum the song kuch to log kahenge, logon kaa kaam hai kehna... there is a smile on my face and when someone goes you have to realize what you are doing, you have a daughter, remember a daughter not a son, you need to do this, this and this for her and not do what are you are doing right now, you need to bend backwards make things work, you are responsible for making her world rosy, bhlah..bhlaah... bow, bow, bow, the song always playing in the backdrop in my mind where I am just not listening any longer, cut off from the conversation and even smiling to myself deep inside. I have come to realize, no point showing it outwards and invite further more wrath!!

Call it arrogance, recklessness whatever I really dont care. I want to be me to be able to live and when I am not my very own self, why the hell are the peripherals needed in the first place. I do not want to grudge anything on her later at any point in my life and say I did this for you. No, I wont do anything for her, it is only for me that I doing all this, plain and simple. When I say I love her, I like the feeling that I love her and so I love her and this is in no way a favor for her, it is for myself that I love her PERIOD.

In Your Prayers Please

2011-07-11T19:38:00.000+05:30

There are a few people you just connect to without actually seeing them, wish them luck, cry with them, feel happy for them, hope for them, dream with them and be with them through their writings.. Minal is one such cutie pie, I love her posts, had been following her blog for quite some time, love her candidness, was just rejoicing the fact of her pregnancy, was on cloud 9 with her and for her and through her posts was kind of reliving my own days.. and then suddenly, something changes, too much of uncertainty, too much of helplessness.. sending in a quick prayer, join me in doing so....... and jr. just HANG On.. do you hear me?????? Stay there!

Movies, Leading Ladies.. Late 70s and 80s - My take 2

2011-07-09T18:30:00.000+05:30

After that golden oldie era comes the era of beautiful ladies. I remember them a lot for their roles in the movies that I so love to watch. The Eastman color, the weird nest type of hairstyles everything has a charm attached to it.

Jayanthi - Love this lady for her voice, different style of acting, can recognize that signature voice anywhere any time :).

Lakshmi - The lady from Julie, again with a distinct voice of her. I kind of felt that she filled the gap that Jamuna has left for those brattish kind of roles.

Jaya Sudha - God, she is like old wine, gets better with each other. I love her ease of acting, the naturality, not subtlety really, the dialogue delivery and it is actually surprising that she renders those long and bhaari bhadkam dialogues in Telugu not able to read the script. I love watching all of her movies. I have heard a lot about her personal tough times in a relationship and am really in awe of how she moulded her life, the way she reached out to prisoners in jail, the way she got into politics, the way she replies candidly, that truth in her, that refreshing purity everything plain amazes me. Of her movies, there is not just one I can list out as an example but Idi Kadha Kadu has impressed me so much that I drop everything to watch it any time.

Jaya Prada - An amazingly natural beauty. In some movies like Sagara Sangamam, Tohfa, I cant really get enough of her, very traditional looking in a saree and long braided hair with that mole on the lips and that nose... aww.. no words!! Her antuleni Kada, siri siri muvva, sagara sangamam are evergreen in my list.. Puttadi bomma in true sense. Though I hate her now in Jayapradam and often end up wondering how can one actually ruin that kind of a beauty with those crazy hairstyles and dressing that does not suit her bearing. Politics and continuous roaming is taking its toll but still she is not helping with dressing and makeup either!

Sreedevi - she is an ugly duckling turned to a swan, graduated from a child artist, to an average looker to a stunning beauty. She is a great performer but unfortunately that is masked by her beauty and sensuality but given a chance she has that mettle to prove herself. I love the grace with which she dances, those belly movements are awesome. The child like voice gets irritating at times, but again that is her trademark. To me Vasanta Kokila is THE movie of hers!!

Sujatha - I love her voice again, her efforts at Telugu despite being from Kerala and the adaptability with which she took to the Telugu movies and stories is really great. I really like that special smile of hers, that mole on her cheek and if you notice her eyes have this peculiar quality, they seem to be full of water all the time, watery eyes be it smile, sadness or just like that.

Poornima - She is that typical girl next door, not a great beauty but really nice to look at.. Srivaariki prema lekha and raani raanamma song are etched in my memory forever.

Suhasini - She is yet another performer that I love so much, used to be a great fan of hers at one point. Love the selection of her movies and her performances in them.. Sindhu Bhairavi, Sirivennela, Amma, Amma Cheppindi, Leader.. she is ageing graciously too :).

Radha - The glamour star of those days, never really like her performances but was a great dancer, must say she looks a lot lot better than her daughter even with that weight and all :).

Rajani - Raallo isakallo raasamu iddari perlu and that song brings a smile on my face, she was a tender performer. :).

Radhika - Another awesome lady that I love onscreen and off screen, very bold, very active, really bubbly, outspoken, great person in general. Love her for that care-a-damn attitude of hers and at that same time, I have not seen a more cheerful person than her, each time she is on the screen she steals the show and by this I mean in an interview or a gathering kind of a thing and not the movie and acting too she does it with an ease that is so typical of her. Swati Muthyam is a gem :).

Revathi - An actress that I really really love for performance. Prema, Gaayam, Mouna Ragam whatever be the movie she just brings her own charm to it. Not a looker but a great performer. Any time any day Mouna Ragam for me.. remember that raa raa rey munda.. hilarious!!!

Bhanu Priya - Those big eyes, the dances, she has a different place in my heart :). Swarna Kamalam evergreen again!

These are the few I remember as I type :)... more later!

Movies, Ladies, The Golden Oldies My Take - 1

2011-07-08T11:11:00.002+05:30

My love for movies is so very evident in what all I do. In fact, I must admit that a lot of my knowledge comes through movies or let me put it this way and I will not be exaggerating if I would say that I learnt more about life and livelihood through movies than what my text book syllabus taught me. I totally agree with what Chandu, another movie buff like me says HERE.

Movies and me are kind of too mixed up, I love them, I hate them, I learn from them, I curse them but I wont stop watching them :). Cinema any-time types!!!

I have done my movie raving a lot of times earlier, I used to be so active in that Movies, Masti Blog back in US which kind of showed what I did on my L2 days without a job waiting for the EAD :), movies and books which played a vital role in keeping me sane.

Done with the heroes, I plan to do my take on heroines, the list again which is very exhaustive. As usual, no one has really asked me to comment on them but then me being me got to do it right!!

Contrary to the overtly dramatic heroes of yester-years heroines for the most part have been natural though their role has come to be of prop dolls of late, the golden oldies made a huge difference in the movies back then. The heroine was as integral part to the movie as was the hero the back bone of the movie. By the time my interest in movies started the contemporaries were Sridevi, Radha, Radhika, Rajani but my love for the heroine figure began with the unmatched Savithri :)

Savitri - A natural, fat, thin, make-up, no make-up, whatever role she did, it is tough to separate her from it. Ammai garu in Mooga Manasulu, Miss Mary in Missamma, Bullemma in Gundamma Kadha, Madhura Vani in Kanyasulkam and how can I forget my all time favorite song.. aha naa pelli anta and her acting in the movie Maya Bazaar amazing, mesmerizing and evergreen actress. Sensational on screen and off screen, a reigning queen whose life is a lesson for many. I simply adore her and she is truly the screen goddess of all times and my love for her is unmatched.

Jamuna - I remember her for all those arrogant brat roles she does and her songs with Harnath are my all time favorite listed songs :).

Krishna Kumari - I did not find her beautiful but she was apt for the roles she did, do not specifically remember which was which though.

B. Saroja - She was a beauty :), roles-wise I cant really say much as I dont really remember :).

Vani Sree - Supposed to be a fashion icon at one time, she is one actress who belongs to the dramatic breed :). Earlier movies, she was too good, black and white days but later on I hated that grease paint on her face and that fighting pitch of voice though I admire her energy.

Sarada - Very strong essaying of roles given to her.. as a lady who ruins here life in Balipeetham, her role in Manushulu maarali left an impact on me for quite some time. She has a dignity about her bearing which I loved and Aw, I was so awestuck by the fights she did as a police officer back then, pre-vijayashanti days and those fiery lawyer roles and all :).

Bhanumati - Earlier, I used to hate her so much really that voice and all, it kind of used to be irritating and I really wonder how that has transformed into admiration it took a lot of time yes, but eventually I really came to admire her performances, even the songs and I feel no one else could have sung them so well.. like in Malleeswari. Arrogance is one word that one gets to see and feel when you see her on screen and I guess that is what I began to love about her, that extreme level of confidence and care-a-damn attitude.

Any day, any time I would love to watch a movie of those days. If it were to rain and me to be alone in a place surrounded by greenery and big wall to wall windows with something hot to sip on and a huuge plasma monitor on the wall playing one of their movies, will I be far from heaven?? Nope!

Movies, Heroes, Me - 2

2011-07-08T10:25:00.001+05:30

After the first attempt at this HERE a while ago, I have come to realize that there were so many that I missed in the flow and had been meaning to do one for quite some time now.

Sumanth - Another intense performer from the ANR clan. Good eye for script, great performance, a right mix of dramatics and subtlety.

Nani - Technically a genius, good observer, great performer, has an eye for great scripts, shows in the variety of roles he has proved himself in.. Ashta Chamma, Bheemli Kabaddi, Alaa modalayyindi, loved all of them, each a class apart from each other, yet entertaining the same. Will surely watch out for this power-packed performer.

Sarvanand - Another intense performer with obvious love for the cinema, to do something, to carve a niche for himself. The one movie which makes me cry loads and loads each time I even think of it is Amma Cheppindi. In Vennela, he irritated me the best but that was what his role was supposed to be, so no complaints! Gamyam took it a step ahead, Prasthaanam was top class. Will surely watch out for his next release.

Krishnudu - Has a niche carved for himself through roles and movies created for himself. Love Vinayakudu, Village lo Vinayakudu, Pappu was good too. He potraying himself in Yem Maya Chesave there is some natural acting in him which I guess might get redundant over a period of time but so far so good.

Vishnu - Dhee, mind blowingly hilarious as Babloo, that height, those dimpled looks... another looker from Manchu clan. Need to choose movies wisely, Saleem has put me off not only him but also movies for a while and that is on a serious note! I personally liked him better before that Somalian look he presents with now.

Varun Sandesh - eeks, yikes, geeezzz, what the hell is he doing in the name of Happy Days and Kotta Bangaaru Lokam.. I did not really like him in Happy Days even though he was the hero, KBL was okay considering the pairing but the next few releases are best forgotten and I am yet to come out of the Yemaindi ee vaela head reeling.

Kalyan Ram - Liked him for his Atanokkade movie, rest all have reeked of Nandamuri self-dabba types, too much of drama, too less of logic stuff.

I guess I am done with it for now :).

Prema - Suryadevara Ram Mohan Rao

2011-07-07T07:58:00.001+05:30

Supposed to be the 70th novel of this sensational author, this comes across as a typical SRR book with a commercial and non-realistic story line with new technology and words thrown in here and there for the impact, typical author style, it is a very average read.

Nishant decides to build a hotel in suborbs of Goa and wants to make it a tourist location but the locals are very much against it as they feel that it would disturb the peace of the place and take away the livelihood. Varshini, who has some household difficulties, a widowed mother and elder sister and a family to run, has to take up the job with him against the local's wish and as expected both of them fall in love but they do not reveal it to each other and how everyone else but they themselves are certain about this and try their best to get them separated forms the basic story.

Just about a very average read, sloppy writing.. seemed to be rushed out.

Subhodayam - author ???

2011-07-07T07:52:00.000+05:30

Since I happen to most of my Telugu reads from the local library, it so happens that I end up getting books with no beginning, ending at times if it is not me who is renting it. I make sure to tell the librarian to not send me those books when I send someone else to pick and drop the books but still she forgets it most of the times and so do the children.

One such read happens to be Subhodayam, which is there from page 1 till end but the cover page, author nothing that I know of.

so, if anyone happens to know who wrote it, please do let me know

The story is of a lady Radha Devi a very beautiful lady who is a single parent with a very abnormally dark-complexioned and not at all good looking son. She brings up the kid with good values; however, the college going son Syam is insulted by the students and friends and that kind of makes him feel inferior, especially so when the girl he happens to adore, Rekha, does that. Turn of events lead Syam to rescue Rekha from some rowdies who tease her and bring her to his home. Inspite of warnings from Radha to inform her parents and be cautious, the very next day the girl is found on the roads, raped and semi-comatose and coming to know of this news Syam and his mother rush to the hospital to reassure the girl. Fate has it that the girl turns out to be the daughter of Syam's estranged father from a different mother. Flashback reveals that Radha and Madhav have a love marriage but are separated when she gets raped and to add to that, Radha becomes pregnant. Madhav totally refuses to come to terms with the fact that she was a victim and instead of being there to support her gets back into a shell. He does not actually leave her because he thinks of what society would think but personally unable to come to terms gets distant from her. Also, forces her to abort as he was certain the kid was not his, but seeing his emotional withdrawal Radha decides to go ahead with the pregnancy in spite of all odds hoping that there is a chance that it is their baby but one look at the baby the hopes are shattered but she could not leave the kid on the roads and decides to bring him up. The husband in their own house without her knowledge gets into an affair with their landlord's innocent, semi-mad daughter and gets her pregnant. When Radha and the landlady realize this, Radha gets them both married and brings up the child as a single parent away from the mess.

this man suddenly resurfaces and accuses Radha of taking a revenge on her by getting his daughter raped but with active involvement and help of the mother and son, police find the actual culprits.

The story ends somewhat rebelliously where the protagonist gets her son married to the victim Rekha, her ex-husband's daughter, though they are half-brother and sister in a way because technically they are born to different parents and not each other!!!!!

There were some real good points in the analysis and the way Radha comes to a conclusion with the choices in front of her but overall it is just an okay and not-really acceptable kind of a story line even to a rebel like me.

Any faint idea of who this author could be if you happen to read this??

Maharnavam - Sreevalli Radhika. T

2011-07-06T12:49:00.000+05:30

Yet another amazing collection of stories by the author. I love her writing style which is simple yet touching, the logic behind the stories, the explanation and everything. She is one author who is just like me. If I were to write, this is how I would is what I feel when I read her books. Parishkaaram is another series that I read of her which I fell in love with instantly.

A great read!

Kadali Anchuna - Devineni Usha

2011-07-06T12:36:00.000+05:30

Another woman power book based in the backdrop of a village. The rise and fall of the heroine and how she gets her life on track and overcomes difficulties. Coming from a rich family who gradually got poor due to loss in contracts and stuff and being of a very soft and understanding mentality the protagonist bows to her circumstances and a very jealous elder sister who spoils all the proper wedding chances because she wants to be better placed than the beautiful younger sister and gets married to a govt. teacher, a son who fails from a family with a dominating mother and a sister along with two brothers and a father who is a dummy. The mother and sister run the show and alienate the new entrant and how she faces problems as an outsider in the family she so wants to own up, unable to understand the tricky politics of the MIL and SIL and further devastated by the stand the husband takes, the story runs around how the son ruins his life by resigning the job, leaving the wife and his 2 sons and leaving the village. The death of her parents leaves her no place to go and how one of her ex-suitors, a benefactor through her parents comes to her rescue, and how the couple helps her to get her a good life by starting a school on her name and how the husband comes back to reclaim it all once again she falls a prey to his tactics only to get back to square one but this time around things CHANGE!!

An okay read though I do not like the ending and agree with it!

Kaalam Kalipina Manushulu - Jonnalagadda Lalita Devi

2011-07-06T12:18:00.000+05:30

A light fiction read by the author. The story revolves around the hero and the heroine who meet at a common friend's place. Hero the brother's friend of the girl who is a sister's friend near vijayawada, they meet fall in love to pursue their education with promise to get married soon. He to pursue his medicine she to complete her degree. They meet once in a while when he comes down exclusively for her but due to some changes in residence and inability to get messages to each other their ways are parted thanks to the hero's mother playing games with both of them. She has to bow down to marry another guy of parents choice who turns out to be a cheater and she takes a grip on her life and restarts her education pursuing medicine in turn of events becomes a doctor, gets divorced by the husband and gets posted in the same place as the hero and all is well when both of them start their life together again after a long pause and live happily ever after.

I guess this is the first time I tried to summarize a story rather than simply comment on it. It is an easy read, old world writing style.. time pass book!

HELP!!! SOS

2011-06-30T17:19:00.001+05:30

I use google chrome as the primary browser and Mozilla as secondary; however, when I am trying to use it since morning the blogger is acting crazy. There is an error message which says Error 400 on a plain white screen... eeeks!! Any idea as towhat it is and how it can be avoided. Please pour in suggestions.

DILEEP... where are you????

EDITED TO ADD:
Looks like a Blogger bug, got rectified by itself... Lesson if there is a problem with the blog wait for a couple of days before its gets itself right before panicking!!

PS: Thank you Sireesha, it was great catching up with you...

Done DanaDan Done... :).

2011-06-04T12:30:00.001+05:30

Done....!!! The marathon is over finally, ends today.. yay!!!

Wanted to see through the end of the marathon and not just the target 26 books that Priyanka had set for this summer. The count actually is 29-1/2, the half being "Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha" which is not a marathon read material.

I began and ended it with a Telugu book. Of late, thanks to Flipkart, I have been catching up on my English reads. It is going to take years to clear that backlog and maybe a marathon all-year-round would see me through it :). Enjoyed every bit of reading as usual.

It is really tough, absolutely not easy, in fact it is not really possible unless you compromise on a lot of other activities that you normally do, maybe Priyanka should reduce the number next year.

The factors that helped me were that I do not cook, I have help to clean up the house, I work but was on a break for the most part thanks to mom :) and most importantly the kid has been an angel throughout. She is into books, reading and scribbling too, so she is not really fussy when I hang around her with a book in my hand, she does sit with me at times turning pages for me as I read, ask me if it is over so she can flip the page, which can be annoying at times but that was good too for the most part, we kind of bonded over the books.. if board books were to be counted the kid does a marathon everyday ;). She realizes that amma likes to read and gives me enough time and space to do so, all she needs is my presence around and she is playing on her own (touchwood).

The regular reads and the routine magazine reads did go for a toss :), not that I am complaining though.

Thank you very much Evening Hour and Priyanka Gontla for this.

Thanks Keerthi Cherukuri and Sudha Sonti for joining the marathon. I know, how tough it is for Sudha out there, she had it the toughest of all and even those number of books that she read is a feat considering her responsibilities at home. Thanks to Sireesha Avvari, for her lovely reviews as usual and I must accept that Sireesha is the one I look up to in terms of reading, bookworm to bookworm love :).. and she continues to inspire me to do a lot more things like listing out my reads :).. it is never too late isnt it?

I will continue reading marathon or not, like there is no tomorrow, will continue posting the reviews on the blog, will keep track of the books that I read, thanks Sireesha again, congrats on your 400th and I will keep the record from this year too :) and I take an oath to minimize the junk in the name of reading that I have been doing for a while.

Kotta Neeru, Mari konni Kadhalu - Vihaari

2011-06-04T12:14:00.000+05:30

A collection of 15 highly thought provoking stories, basically a saga of middle class lives contemporarily, written between 2005 and 2007 bring us close to the reality, succeed in evoking a thought process, putting in words the thoughts that come across fleetingly...loved every single story rendo samudram, kotta neeru, eduraddaalu.

It is true that a short story is a national art form, depicts the social status at that point in time, is kind of immortal.

A good read.

Neeli Megham - Perumaandla Sreedevi Kadhalu

2011-06-04T12:13:00.001+05:30

It is a collection of 10 simple stories.. very ordinary ones, very very simple read.. the narrative is simple and bland, we know how and what is going to be, nothing to look forward to, nothing gripping ultra smooth-flow. I must say this is the most blandest story collection I have ever read.

Sau Gram Zindagee

2011-06-01T13:59:00.000+05:30

A good song, havent seen the movie, neither did I listen to the songs... stumbled on it accidentally... not too great lyrics.. just a thought and some music

Thodi si meethi hai, zaraa si mirchi hai
Sau graam zindagi yeh sambhaal ke kharchi hai..
Asli hai, jhooti hai..khaalish hai, farzi hai
Sau gram zindagi yeh sau gram zindagi yeh sambhaal ke kharchi hai
Thodi si meethi hai
Zara si mirchi hai

Der tak ubaali hai...cup mein daali hai
Kadvi hai naseeb si... yeh coffee gaadhi kaali hai
Chammach bhar cheeni ho, itni si marzi hai
Sau gram zindagi yeh sau gram zindagi yeh sambhaal ke kharchi hai

Khari hai, khoti hai...rone ko chhoti hai
Dhaageyse khushiyonko silti hai, darzi hai
Sau gram zindagi yeh sau gram zindagi yeh...sambhaal ke kharchi hai
Thodi si meethi hai... Zaraa si mirchi hai

Life is good..
Life is wonderful..
Life is pain..Oh ye ye ye

It all part of that game
Life is love
It aint all good
That's the way.. oooh ye, ye, ye...

Sau gram zindagi

‎(Ci)neethi Chandrika

2011-06-01T11:37:00.001+05:30

Penned by Raavi Kondala Rao, a well-known movie artist, writer, stage actor, it is a collection of three parts as Cineethi chandrika, chitra laabhamu and chitra modamu written as a serial for Andhra Patrika weekly in 60s. The language and style is of that era... with good Telugu and written in a satirical way.

Neither an easy read nor simple language flow... you need to be inclined to read such pure language to admire the book.

Mugguru Budatalu - Baali Comic Strips

2011-06-01T11:35:00.003+05:30

Comic strips by Baali, based on three kid characters.. Chandu (Prabha), Charani (Vanitha Jyothi now Andhrajyothi) and Abbugaadu (Andhrabhoomi). each strip has a story to tell.. Charani is based on his granddaughter where Baali has tried to recreate what girls that age think and do in a comic way. Chandu is 4-picture strip which bring about the naughty acts of Chandu and Abbugaadu finally is a boy with 4 hairs, the concept of which is based on the facts the author had read elsewhere about kids in general and tell them through a kid's character... a quick, easy, fun and good read.