Domestic dogma

If it was not for his `Drishti' (vision), Goverdhan Egumamidi would have been like any other law student from Siddipet — an easy-going, movie-crazy, jean-clad youngster. But his vision for the future has changed the course of his present. Despite the degree and over two years of practice, he gave up law for the love of films. And the commitment he felt towards the society. Drishti is, hence, his contribution towards that social commitment.

A true-to-life film on, and for, the domestic workers, it has a take on various issues plaguing society. The film is a "docu-fiction", to quote the filmmaker, which captures one day in the life of a maidservant, Rangamma (played by Manga Reddy) in this case.

The protagonist is named after the woman who inspired Goverdhan to make the film by sharing her views, experiences and opinions on society. "Amma's (as I used to call Rangamma) soliloquies, her observations and thoughts during my seven-year-long association with her made me think, re-think and do something for, and about, maids without whom we cannot do in our day-to-day routine," says Goverdhan who dedicated the film to his 55-year-old source of inspiration.

Shocking though they may seem at the outset, the issues discussed in the film are the very vices society is constantly waging a war against — alcoholism, molestation, child sexual abuse, poverty, ill treatment of fellow human beings, apathy towards the elderly, and gossiping wily neighbours, among others.

"I saw society from Rangamma's point of view," vouches the filmmaker who screened the film for a handful of domestic workers on May Day at Ravindra Bharati.

Made on a shoestring budget, in a digital format, the film uses different kinds of lighting, and colours, to suit the mood of the people that particular frame focuses on. Visually appealing, the movie talks about the problems faced by maidservants. "At least 75 per cent of it got documented because of my interaction with about 700-800 of them, besides a few NGOs like the Progressive Organisation for Women (headed by Sandhya) that endeavour for their betterment," he says.

"I put in a lot of effort while making the film. And, I want it to reach the people I meant it for," he adds, thanking the few organisations that have agreed to take his film to the masses.

"This is like an art film with commercial values. It was just an expression of what I have been feeling for the past 10 years," says the filmmaker who is an avid fan of Bapu, Vamshi, and Roman Polanski, besides the legendary Guru Dutt whose influence, he feels, can be felt in his film.

"I tried not to make it boring, while telling them exactly what I have on my mind, by concentrating on the dialogue right from the scripting stage," says Goverdhan who wants to "become a filmmaker at the national level." Here's hoping the efforts of this sincere filmmaker pay off.

SHANTI NANISETTI

In the wings

Gopika is just like her character in her Telugu debut movie Naa Autograph: unassuming, down-to-earth - whether she is adjusting her locks or the pallu for the next shot, (a bicycle ride with hero Sharwanand) or asking the make-up man to re-do her hair.

Her debut movie didn't do too well. Nor did her other two films - Letha Manasulu and Yuvasena. But still, she became a sought-after actor in south Indian cinema. The bubbly girl is currently shooting for a Telugu film by Usha Kiron Movies. Despite being busy in Malayalam and Tamil films - that explains the gap in Telugu films - she couldn't resist the plum offer by a "good banner involving very good technicians."

"I feel elated about this offer worth the gap. I play an investigative journalist in this heroine-oriented film and the subject is good," says the pretty girl. The stone-studded choker-and-earrings affair seems heavy on this petite girl when contrasted with her flowing costume.

Recollecting her debut film, Gopika says, "I acted in the original Tamil version and Gopal Reddy sir happened to like my performance. So, he chose me for the Telugu version too. Portraying the role of a Malayali girl was quite natural - it was just like being myself. The difficult part was when I had to speak some dialogues in Telugu in the remade version since I wasn't familiar with the language."

Having acted in Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil films, Gopika feels that "except for the fact that the Telugu industry is a lot more professional, there are no major differences in the three major south Indian language films. However, Malayalam cinema has become more glamorous and commercial-oriented now," says the smart actor who still watches films with the same thrill of her childhood days.

Whenever she is shooting outside Kerala, she tries to "cope up with differences in language, food and climate." Comparing Hyderabad with Chennai, she says the former is "neat, less congestion and pollution, plus smooth traffic. But when compared to my hometown Thrissur , the traffic is quite heavy."

Just a glimpse of her mother is enough to make one understand the origins of her delicate beauty. A doting daughter, Gopika never leaves her mother's hand while talking fondly about homemade fish curry, avial and pickles, or the Hyderabadi biryani she enjoys at Green Park or Paradise, or about indulging her sweet tooth with gulab jamoon and ice creams... . With a broad smile that spreads to her attractive eyes, she says she loves vegetable fried rice while insisting "coconut oil is a must for me, but here they cook everything in sunflower oil." Now we know the secret behind her beauty!

SHANTI NANISETTI

The child-woman's speak

Blithesome spirit is lost,
Only memories adorn,
My wandering soul,
A sweet little girl, why have I grown?
Time quickly fled by,
Buds no longer smile,
The flowers bloom wild,
But at heart, I'm still a child.

This is the voice of a child-woman who finds "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" too far from reality" and wants "to live within the boundaries of life and realism". Meet Nameera Baig, of Std. XII, St. George's Grammar School, who has bagged many prizes in debate, essay writing and elocution in intra-and inter-school competitions since she was seven years old.

Nameera's achievements include a "Super Kid" Ugadi Puraskar, and the `Bal Ratna Gifted Child' award for Literature by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Department of Education. Now, the 16-year-old is the proud recipient of `Balashree Award' for Creative Writing recently announced by the Government of India, New Delhi, to be given away by the President shortly.

"My grandfather Amir Ahmed Khusrou, eminent Urdu poet and winner of Sahitya Akademi award, was my inspiration.," she says. Nameera plans to get her poems published in three different anthologies. While the English anthologies are titled "The Ocean of Thoughts" and "Desideratum" with 50 poems in each collection, 35 of her Hindi poems are combined to give "Aakanksha".

She enjoys reading Charles Dickens and the Iliad and the Odyssey are her favourite books. She loves to watch films like "Ben-Hur", "The Ten Commandments" and "Gone With the Wind". " Her ambition is to become a virologist. When asked why most of her poems end on a pessimistic note, Nameera says "No, I'm optimistic. But so much is happening around us that it cannot be ignored. I portray these deplorable things and also certain human emotions in my poems. Though I write on nature too, I feel satisfied when I pen my thoughts on human relationships, emotions and despair as I experience a few myself," she says.

SHANTI NANISETTI

The good doctor

The two-storeyed house in a bylane near Gandhi Hospital in Padmarao Nagar has an old world charm about it. Inside, patients wait for the tall, balding doctor who lives upstairs.

In a world of plate glass, Swiss steel corporate hospitals where heart surgery costs a few lakhs, the doctor in this homely hospital has performed more than 10,000 surgeries for less than Rs. 10,000.

Meet Dr. S. Uday Shankar, the recent winner of `Bharatiya Chikitsak Ratan', an award recognising individual excellence in medicine.

A true reflection of his unassuming personality, his small, non-intimidating, hassle-free Maruti Nursing Home makes his patients feel almost like home. "I don't want my patients to sell their property to get themselves cured," he says firmly, adding, "I'm not here to decide whether my patients live or not. I just do my best by encouraging them to have a wish to live, and leave the rest to them. I aim to keep the organ intact for a longer time, as I believe that prevention is greater, not just better, than cure."

A champion of the poor, he feels that not many can afford expensive diagnosis, and believes that the cost of the treatment can be drastically reduced if one can "manage things at home with a little

help from a trained expert within the first 24 to 48 hours which are crucial in the case of a heart attack. Total immobilisation of the patient is the key to tide over the crisis," he says.

"Little things like keeping the ICCU room, oxygen cylinder, and life-saving drugs within a reachable distance from the entrance of the hospital go a long way in saving a patient's life," is what he believes.

Advocating the concept of multi-functionality of doctors rather than a single specialty, he says, "Today, experts are making this mistake of not looking at the patient as a whole. By treating just one diseased organ, they are ignoring its negative impact on the rest of the body."

Backed by degrees in cardiology, radiology, general medicine and surgery, nephrology and rheumatology, he carries on his mission zealously. His current passion, an overnight decision, is to take inexpensive medicare to the rural poor who are suffering from flourosis.

Patients in places like Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Vijayawada, and Chouttuppal with its highest rate of 90 per cent incidence, eagerly await his visit every week.

It is not that he never dreamt of big money and bigger cities. As a child, he wanted to become a doctor, go abroad and earn a lot. And he did go to the U.S.A. where his parents and siblings have settled, but returned within three years with an almost feverish passion.

"Perhaps, India's gravity is greater than that of the U.S.A.," he chuckles.

Despite dedicating himself to the service of the poor, he feels what he is doing is nothing out-of-the-ordinary. "While some give education, and some money, I give health to my patients," he says.

Perhaps, this down-to-earth attitude is the key to his success.

SHANTI NANISETTI

Music is in his veins

DRAWING INSPIRATION from his mother who used to sing Ramadas and Thyagaraja kritulu, etc, in her own fashion, Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana decided to make classical music his career. Having donned the role of child Krishna on the stage at ten, Nookala came in contact with what he calls `stage music', an influence of Hindustani music from Pune on the music scene in Andhra Pradesh.

A brilliant student, he was deeply influenced by the concert of the granddaughter of Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu.

"We hail from Palakollu in West Godavari and since nobody was available to train me in music there, I wanted to go to Vijayawada or Vizianagaram for training. During one Sriramanavami celebration, Akkajirao, a veena player, gave a concert in our village. I decided to make him my guru, got hold of his address and set off to Vijayawada with just one rupee on me. I reached the house of Mangalampalli Pattabhiramayya, father of Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, to pursue music. I depended on `Vaaralu' for food," he reminisces.

"It took me four years to learn about 70 varnas (the number has now come to a maximum of 20). I learnt music for over 15 years from different maestros. I learnt varnas and kritis from other musicians too. In contrast, it takes about three-and-a-half years for the certificate course today. So, the students now do not get to learn anything perfectly or in detail. And, the quality suffers," he says.

"Attaining swaragnanam should be every student's aim - i.e. to identify the different swaras with the notes. If one goes systematically, he will be able to learn it. If the students apply this knowledge in studies too, they will certainly shine, as knowledge of music helps one identify and remember other things well," he says.

With a repertoire spanning 60 years to his credit, Nookala started giving performances after two years of learning. He learnt violin too under the Dwaram family and later Dr. Pinakapani, by mere observation of the finger movement at the concerts of violin maestros. He worked as teacher, lecturer, professor and principal in different music colleges in the State. He was a top-class artiste on the AIR and the Doordarshan. He conducted workshops, lecture demonstrations and classes in universities abroad. He was the recipient of the prestigious `Mahamahopadhaya' award by Akhila Bharata Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal in Delhi.

Nookala was all praise for his disciples. "They possess qualities like perseverance and involvement - essential for learning music. Some are more talented than I. Practice, dedication, concentration - all these are necessary to excel in music. Unfortunately, there are many illiterate musicians around now," he says.

On the standard of music colleges today, "We are only elevating the general standard of understanding music by increasing the number of listeners. Just like every engineering college cannot produce a Visweswarayya, all music colleges cannot bring out a Deekshitar, a Syamasastry or a Thyagaraja," he says.

"Dedication, brilliance, patience - today's students have it all. But, they are all job-oriented and want to go abroad to earn well. And, `if you have a good voice, try your luck in films, why waste your time and energy in classical music?' seems to be the attitude. I can understand if students cannot spare enough time for music, or give it importance over academics, in today's racy world. Even if he does, where is the guarantee that he can get a job or become a frontline musician, affording comfortable living," questions Nookala.

On the western and other influences on Indian music, Nookala says, "It is good to some extent but may prove fatal beyond a point. Our music was always influenced by light, folk and stage music in the form of Yenki paatalu, etc. Classical music won't suit this genre. So, the Carnatic strain came very late to Andhra. People like Susarla Dakshina Murty and Rajalu Venkata Ramaiah strived to promote classical music here. Some musicians adopted the gurukula style of teaching. But, even to enjoy Carnatic music, one needs cultivation. Popular playback singers speak as if they do not like Carnatic music. All this has a negative influence."

On the music appreciation/ criticism scene here: "the critic has to understand the music in order to appreciate or criticise it. In comparison with the critics in Tamil Nadu, the critics in Andhra Pradesh are certainly lagging behind. The reviews are not up to the mark. Some critics listen to just three/ four kritis and base their opinion on that. There are others who do not attend the concert and call up later to find out what we sang during the recital," says Nookala.

"However, there is a renaissance in classical music now as the awareness is on the rise. Youngsters too are showing interest - I have about 40, 50 students at present. If this trend continues, then the music scene in Andhra is going to be good in future," he says, before signing off on a happy note.

Nookala has also written books like Ragalakshana Sangraham about 250 Carnatic ragas, 70-80 Hindustani ragas and 40-50 English scales, A Monograph on Pancharatnas - a commentary on music, syllabus (till varnas) for music colleges in Telugu and English, and a book on the compositions by Deekshitar. His latest book titled Thyagaraja Saraswata Sarvaswam was inaugurated recently.

SHANTI NANISETTI

In tune with the times

IN THE 1960s, when legendary Bollywood singer Mohd. Rafi crooned "Ramaiah vastavayya" as the refrain for a Hindi song, the Telugus said "Yeh dil maange more". So, he rendered a song for them — "Naa madi ninnu pilichindi gaanamai venugaanamai... (Aaradhana)". The impact was simply great. Nobody cared for the lyrics. Nor the accent. And then, he sang "Yentha Varu Kani Vedantulaina Kani (Bhale Thammudu - which is a take on the 'Baar Baar Dekho' song) followed by "Haseena O Haseena" (a duet with P. Susheela), and "Taralentaga Meriseno Chanduruni Kosam (both from Akbar Salim Anarkali)" — that was it.

Fast forward to the current era: The Telugu industry is full of Bollywood singers today. Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Hariharan and K.K. — name the singer and you can hear him sing in your mother tongue . "Signing Bollywood singers is considered fashionable now. What was started by A.R. Rahman for the sake of variety, has become a craze today. They may not get the words right, but their voices are good," says Srilekha, composer.

While some feel there is nothing wrong in non-Telugus singing Telugu songs since music has no language barriers, there are others like composer-singer R.P. Patnaik who insist on Telugu singers. Why? "Because I want Telugu to be spoken like Telugu," he says. "Usually, when a big-budget movie is being made, the producers feel they can get the best talent by paying more. So, the attitude is - those who charge more should be signed," elaborates R.P. hopeful that "the trend is definitely going to change." But, is there a dearth of talent in the industry? "It is not a question of talent," insists producer D. Ramanaidu. "Heroes want change. And successful names do matter. We may find many talented singers in Andhra itself. But who has the time or patience to go on such talent-hunts," he says.

Earlier, the trend was to have one singer singing all the songs in a film for the hero. Another singer would render the song for a character artiste. A little later, the same singer, in this case S.P. Balu, would modulate his voice to suit each hero/character in the film. "But now, the trend is to have many Bollywood singers in one film," says Ramanaidu. Is the trend here to stay, then? While Srilekha maintains that nothing can be predicted in the industry, director-composer S.V. Krishna Reddy believes "the trends in the industry go by the audiences' tastes. If the album has five, six different singers, the cassettes move fast. The audience too want variety. Some people enjoy listening to unintelligible songs."

"When I was young, this beautiful actress called B. Saroja Devi used to speak Telugu in an odd fashion as she was not familiar with the language. That was, in fact, a major attraction of her films in those days. Similarly, though Balu's voice is far superior to most Bollywood singers, you cannot dismiss Udit Narayan either. His voice is definitely not repulsive. When the change is positive, why not take it?" questions producer Allu Aravind.

What about those who pen beautiful lyrics for Telugu films? How do they feel when non-Telugu singers write the lyrics in Hindi/ English and mispronounce the words, taking the meaning and focus away from the language?

"Frankly speaking, very rarely does a lyricist get a chance to write poetic verse, rich in content. And, when we pen something with so much effort, and neither the same feeling is communicated nor the mood reflected in the end product, we feel a tinge of pain. Guess it is all part of the game," says lyricist Kulashekar. "Sometimes, even mistakes become trends - like the Rama chilakamma song in Choodalani Vundi. Originally Rammaa chilakamma, the song attained a different meaning, as the singer was unable to get the stress right," he laughs. So much for their effort. Whether the trend is going to continue or is just a passing phase, let's reap the benefits while we are at it. Just tune in.

SHANTI NANISETTI

City of pearls or diamonds?

EVERY MORNING, about six years ago, Ahmed used to pick up children from Road No. 5, Banjara Hills, to be dropped at Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, in his auto-rickshaw. As he crossed the Panjagutta-Somajiguda stretch, he would watch those good old jewellery shops which dealt in pearl jewellery.

Hyderabad was the `City of pearls' then. Now, the same stretch makes one wonder if the city is still synonymous with pearls alone.

Down memory lane

A walk down the road takes you to a different world - the world of diamonds, with the burgeoning showrooms trading in diamond jewellery opening up new vistas and choices for traditional Hyderabadis. About 400 years ago, a few kilometres ahead of the Panjagutta circle, was Golconda — where the Mountain of Light (Kohinoor diamond) and Hope Diamond were sold. All buyers would go back to their respective towns, satisfied.

But today, the buyers are Hyderabadis who are here to stay and the sellers are from different parts of the country. However, "people from the Krishna and the Godavari belt still contribute the maximum to the trade because of their solid wealth," says V.R.Gunashekar of Kirtilals jewellery showroom. And one aspect the experienced store manager noticed is "the NRI movement from the State, and the city in particular, is the highest in the country. They are the ones who invest in gold and diamond jewellery to be given away as gifts. "

Fast-growing market

That Hyderabad is a growing market for diamonds is an accepted fact today. Many outsiders who have made forays into the Hyderabadi jewellery market vouch for the fact. "As for the sale of diamond jewellery, our branch has consistently beaten the whole of the North put together for almost 20 days in succession. That includes Mumbai and New Delhi too," says an elated Jayant Biswas, manager, Tanishq at Punjagutta. Today, they have regular customers who realise the value of diamonds. "Our customers understood that nothing can destroy a diamond and so the ratio of plain gold versus diamond studded jewellery has touched the 50:50 mark in the store," he adds.

Almost all the jewellers agree that besides quality, the four `C's — cut, colour, clarity and carat — are valid points to be understood before buying diamond jewellery. And, the vital players in this trade believe in educating the customer about this precious stone.

Keep it light

Earlier, people used to hesitate to buy the invaluable gem because of certain superstitions but now, the well-informed customer knows what to believe. Though lightweight jewellery is the order of the day — picked up by youngsters and working women — there are those who request for custom-made studded jewellery a la the beautiful handcrafted pieces owned by the Nizams once.

The purchasing power of people has gone up by a few notches which makes diamonds that much more alluring. The fact of the matter is that "there are youngsters who purchase pendants, finger rings and earrings to be given away as gifts to their friends," says Bhimesh at Tribhuvandas Bhimji Zaveri showroom. A fact reiterated by Dev Malhotra, store manager, Lifestyle, Begumpet: "Though I cannot call it impulse buying, there are specific gifting seasons like Valentine's Day and Friendship Day when youngsters buy trinkets in the range of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000."

Who are the buyers?

But, who exactly is buying the jewellery? Is it just the newly rich crowd from the upscale localities of Hyderabad? "Not exactly. The starting range of our jewellery is Rs. 2,000-Rs. 2,500 which makes it affordable to even the middle classes. Earlier, people would go to their traditional jeweller with diamonds (bought on their trip abroad) and get it custom-made. The modern consumer has different tastes," says Biju John of InterGold, Somajiguda, who foresees about 200-250 per cent rise in the sales in the next few years.

Price wise, though the sparkling cut stone still runs into some lakhs, no doubt it has become affordable to many (starts at Rs. 1,000 for pendants). So what if De Beers invested Rs. 400 crores in Boom to market their diamonds, we can invest in our own small way. And while the Hyderabadis debate whether the city should be called `City of pearls' or rechristened `City of diamonds', let's take the big decision, now.

SHANTI NANISETTI

The 60s' beauty queen

AT 16, she did her first modelling show. A brief pause later, she was chosen as the Cover Girl for Femina. And then came the Miss India contest - in 1964. Meher Castelino won the title in those `fashion-and-modelling-are-taboo' days.

"At that time, Miss India contest was not a open beauty pageant. We had to send our picture to the organisers directly. That year, out of the 500 contestants, 10 were short-listed and after an exhaustive interview on different topics, and a show where we had to walk the ramp wearing a sari, an Indian gown and a swimsuit, I was declared a winner," reminisces Meher.

After winning the title, Meher's first show was for Hakoba in Kolkata. Then, assignments for Calico and Tata Textiles followed. After a 13-year modelling career, Meher worked as a fashion designer for an export company. With marriage, and two children, her career slowly came to a halt and she was on the lookout for a part-time job. Her interest in fashion and writing found her the job of the fashion editor for Gentlemen's Fashion Quarterly.

Commenting on life after the Miss India contest, she says, "Life was pretty quiet and private. We were never bombarded with questions relating to our personal life. Journalists too concentrated on our professional life - like how to keep fit and future assignments, etc. The only change was - being a model, I travelled a lot."

"We were paid mostly in kind (like clothes and jewellery that we campaigned for) or Rs. 50 per show then. Money was, hence, never a question. We all worked because we loved the profession," she adds.

Meher's creations:



So, hasn't the contest changed her life much? "It has to some extent. It gave me a lot of confidence, taught me how to talk, look and behave in public, and gave an instant energy. It is true that I had jumped ahead of others and became famous overnight - but how you handle that fame depends on you," she says. Meher admits that each episode in her life was significant. While modelling gave her "a glamorous high" and fashion designing "a creative high", her current journalistic career assures her "complete personal satisfaction".

When asked why she did not take up acting, Meher replied , "there was a clear demarcation between modelling and films. And, becoming an actress was considered a downward move. Only after Zeenat Aman (Miss India 1970) became an actress and Juhi Chawla (Miss India 1984) became popular, the concept of crossing over has picked up. Glamorous people today are using different professions like modelling, VJing and television as stepping stones for films."

When Meher Castelino won the Miss India title and was sent to Miss U.N. and Miss Universe titles at Miami and Spain, there was nobody to guide her on the whole process of grooming, walking, talking, behaviour, photo sessions, interviews, rehearsing and the actual event.

Today, the picture has changed and contestants receive a thorough drilling in all aspects before the pageant. "But, the concept behind these beauty pageants is lost now. Today we have so many `Miss this' and `Miss that', that the entire thing looks artificial ," she says about the surfeit of beauty contests. "Perhaps, it has a positive side to it too as it gives girls a lot of confidence in themselves," adds Meher.

Attired in a black fusion outfit with sequin work, Hakoba's fashion consultant who was in the city for the opening of the Hakoba store at Sindhi Colony, feels that the whole concept of fashion designing has changed now as "the customer has become smarter, and hence, is ruling the style and pricing, thereby assuring the availability of good clothes at reasonable prices".

SHANTI NANISETTI