Me At My Most

Dope, Dollars, and Death

2009-10-31T21:54:00.005+05:30

Prakash, a well known fashion designer in Hyderabad was arrested last Saturday convicted with the murder of Ananya – the famous model and airhostess. He with his influence is out on a bail and is in search of the real murderer investigating the mystery all by himself. It is then when he meets Soori.

Dope sourced from Bangalore used to be smuggled in Hyderabad on Fridays at a famous shopping mall-Shopper’s Central. The deal was so planned that dope was exchanged with money between a Bangalorean and a Hyderabadi in two similar bags of the same shopping mall in the safest non surveillance zone – washroom, so that no body suspects of the act. This dope was distributed to the pub owners for the weekend specials to weaken the desperate youth.

Prakash, is sure that the murder is somewhere connected to this smuggling act and goes to Shopper’s Central on Friday. He there sees the Bangalorean waiting for the Hyderabadi and hits into him. Unsatisfied by the little/no information provided by the Bangalorean, Prakash sets right the latter and takes the bag of dope taken from the Bangalorean and meets the Hyderabadi – Soori.

Soori is a youngster around 20s with a good heart believing in the concept of rags-to-riches and indulges into all kinds of anything that smell money. Despite a couple of beatings from the cops with some sheets filed on him at the police stations, he was always ready to take that extra step for smart money. Prakash tries to force Soori as well to get hold of some information and after finding out that Soori is nowhere connected, he threatens the latter to go with him. Soori smells smart money here-cash in his hand, and dope in Prakash’s hand. What if he snatches both and escapes? This idea forces Soori to follow Prakash.

Before the Bangalorean regained his senses, or somebody else noticed, Prakash and Soori smartly reach the parking area through the fire exit staircase and get into former’s car. Holding the keys, which he found from the quick search on the fainted Bangalorean, Prakash calls his close pal Sharma over his mobile and informs him that he got hold of the Bangalorean and the only things that he could get were the bag of dope and a pair of keys with a seal of the hotel name-Paradise. Sharma quickly browses the net and locates the hotel around Shamshabad airport, and reads out the address while Prakash makes Soori to note it down. Prakash then starts off to Hotel Paradise along with Soori-and then talks about his past to Soori.

Prakash is a very popular person in the Fashion Design Industry whose daytime was spent at his state-of-the-art design studio at Banjara Hills and nights at pubs. Clothes, Booze, Women were the next things to his skin. It is through a pub, he meets Ananya, an air hostess in a reputed airline company and impressed by her modeling profile, Prakash requests her to help him with his campaigns and they both work and get along to each other.

Last Friday, when Prakash, Sharma, and Ananya were at a pub, Ananya calls somebody and threatens to screw up their lives if they don’t accept to her terms and conditions. Mystified Sharma, and Prakash enquire about the call and she in a drunken tone tells them that every Friday dope comes to Hyderabad from Karnataka and is smuggled at Shopper’s Central washrooms. The duo laughs off at this and all the three start off. Being high on dope, Ananya and her boy friend Sharma become reluctant to drive; Sharma takes off a cab while Ananya asks Prakash to drop her. The very same night, Ananya gets murdered, and Prakash being the last person to be seen with Ananya gets arrested.

The car reaches Hotel Paradise. Soori interested by the story, thinks of spending more time with Prakash, at the same time waiting for the right opportunity to grab the bags. Prakash along with Soori hurriedly rushes to the room, numbered on the keys. After a timid search, they find nothing and return to the reception seeking more information. The receptionist after looking into the records informs that two guys from Bangalore arrived that morning and one of them had left early in the morning while the other left the room a few minutes back. After finding out that the details entered in the registry were invalid, she informs that they have not checked out yet and booked the room for one day. Prakash returning the keys to her requests to keep him updated with any other information and leaves his contact information with her.

Prakash in despair backs off to his place in his car accompanied by Soori. Soori feels sorry for Prakash and decides to help him. He requests Prakash to go to Soori’s home at Mehdipatnam and have lunch, so that he also could help the former in the investigation. Prakash agrees and on the way back, Soori asks about Sharma.
Born to well known doctors settled in America, Sharma is a smart and dynamic NRI in his mid 30s, who is in India attracted to yield gold out of Real Estate and Filmy boom. He was all over the news after purchasing huge land adjacent to Mytas County at Nizampet Road and winning 1 National Award for the Best Film Producer for his recent film based on women empowerment at the same time. He is calm and sensitive guy and searches for new heroines by wandering across the pubs in Hyderabad, and this is where he meets Prakash and Ananya.

Pretty impressed by the looks of Ananya he desperately tries and fails in making her his heroine but succeeds in winning over her heart. All the three used to hang out during their weekends while the love birds even found some time for their naughty privacy. It is on the same day, when Sharma and Ananya decide to settle down by getting married and throw a grand party to all their well wishers, Ananya gets killed.

The car stops at a small house somewhere in the streets of Mehdipatnam. Both of them get into Soori’s house. Soori introduces Prakash as his boss to his father lying on the bed, and to his mom who is sitting beside him. Soori’s mom welcomes Prakash and invites them for lunch. It only took a few steps and glances inside Soori’s house for Prakash to confirm that this family is below poverty line. Amidst of all this tension, Prakash gets moved by the family and asks Soori to keep both the bags they were carrying (dope and money) with him, until everything gets sorted. He even clues to be careful with the dope bag, but sensible with the money bag expecting it to be used for the welfare of Soori’s family. Impressed by this, Soori recalls his past.

Soori is well acquainted with a guy named Srinu, who stays near Charminar. Both of them were graduation mates and hailed from typical below middle class backgrounds. But Srinu was a huge spendthrift and used to spend money like hell not only for himself, but also his pals. When asked about the source of the money, he simply used to say that he was doing part time job as a delivery boy for some unknown people. Switching bags is the only thing, he did. Then this Friday, while he was supposed to deliver this bag, he meets with a small accident and breaks his leg on the way to Panjagutta. He gets admitted in Nilofar Hospital at Mehdipatnam, and when Soori goes to see him at the hospital, the former requests him to do the delivery for the first time. Looking at Srinu’s condition, Soori agrees to swap the bags, and this is where he meets Prakash.

After listening to the entire story, Prakash requests Soori to take him to Srinu. Soori agrees and both start off to the hospital. After enquiring with Srinu, he tells that even he doesn’t know anything about the sources. All that he knows is, whenever a swap is required Srinu receives a money order on his name with a small note that contains the pickup time, place, swap time, place and delivery time, and place. The rest is self explanatory. This time the pickup was in the garbage bin located on the 4th floor at the food counter of Shopper’s Central; while the swap was on the 2nd floor washroom of the same building, the delivery was to leave the bag beneath the first table beside the cash counter at a hotel called Top Inn at Khairatabad exactly at 2:30.

The clock on the wall of the hospital is ticking fast and it reads 1:45. Prakash asks Srinu, about how he got this job and more explanation about the locations. Soori tells he received an anonymous mail a couple of months back to his house about a delivery job, where the mail’s message is that a few guys who were unemployed and looking out for smart money can avail a golden chance and revealing about the mail to anybody would be a threat to their entire family. On sending an acceptance note to an email address, the delivery job started and the rest is history. Srinu informed that it is only unemployment and the thirst for posh life makes them to do these kinds of things and also tells that almost some 20-25 guys around his place could be involved in these kinds of things. He even tells that he has been doing this for months but never has been to the same place, or seen the same person for swap twice. Shocked by listening to this sophisticated set up, Prakash starts off in a rush with Soori to the latter’s place to take the dope bag and deliver at Khairatabad, so that it could provide a lead.

With lots of trouble amidst traffic between Nilofar and Mehdipatnam, the duo reach Soori’s house and start off to Khairatabad. It is luckily 2:20 by the time they reach Khairatabad with the dope bag. All the way Prakash was lost by the name of the hotel expecting it to be of star ambience and was also surprised how he could miss one being a party man. To his surprise, enquiring a couple of pedestrians midway both Prakash and Soori reach an ordinary irani tea hotel with not more than 6 benches busy with people and boys serving tea and biscuits. They quickly enter the place and hide the bag underneath the bench as informed by Srinu cheating other’s eyes and wait quietly for the other party for pick up. After a tensed hour, a 15 year old kid comes on a bicycle and speaks something to the person sitting next to the cash counter. He orders for lunch sitting at the first bench; and while Prakash and Soori wait anxiously to see the other party the kid after having his lunch for around 30 mins leans down and picks the bag left by Prakash.

To their astonishment he also picks up three more similar bags beneath the same bench which went left unnoticed by Prakash and starts off on the bicycle. After taking a few seconds to digest the fact that they were only 1/4th part of the set up, they start off looking into each other’s faces and quietly follow the kid for some time. The kid reaches Khairatabad junction crossroads and handles over the bags to a bearded man waiting for him in a red maruthi van. Just when the man takes over the bags he notices Prakash and Soori watching them and start off in a rush towards Punjagutta. The duo hurriedly chases and getting caught by the afternoon traffic jams of Hyderabad, they reach the check post of Jubilee Hills where they find the empty van abandoned at a petrol bunk. After a thorough search inside the van and enquiring the people at the bunk about any information, it strikes to Prakash’s mind that he has seen the man inside and the van before.

In despair, both of them go to a cart and have tea. The time is around 5:00. Prakash then remembers that he has seen that man and the van at Ananya’s place on the night she was killed. That night when he drops her at her place at Banjara Hills Prakash asks this man for a lighter to smoke. He informs the same to Soori and both rush to Ananya’s place around 5:30. Having known that it is not so safe to enter a sealed place during the day time, they wait until it is dark. Around 6:15 they quietly enter Ananya’s place and after a thorough search for about one hour in the dark with a torch light they find in the kitchen and finding nothing they get completely tired and with all the hopes lost they reach the main door to exit, and just then they hear a beep from around the corner of the room of the entrance.

Soori points out Prakash to an object glowing randomly with a beep in the dark. Prakash reaches out for the object lying under the couch next to the main entrance door. It was a black berry phone with low battery warning. It was the same phone that Ananya spoke to somebody the night she was killed. Prakash looks at the dialed numbers and he finds that there is one number that was called from that number. Prakash tries to reach for that number from the black berry, and just then the phone switches off.

Frustrated by this act but with feeble hopes to get out of this mystery, Prakash asks Soori if he knew anybody who has a black berry mobile charger. Prakash actually has a couple of contacts who have similar phones, but he did not feel safe to contact them now for a charger. Soori tells him that he knows a bar owner at Yousufguda who has a similar piece. Prakash gives him his car keys to Soori and asks him to get the phone recharged immediately. He also gives Soori his mobile number for in case of any emergency. He informs to stay there and search more expecting to find any clues. After Soori starts off and while Prakash is searching the house for a clue, he gets a call from Sharma enquiring about his whereabouts. Prakash narrates the whole story to Sharma.

Sharma feels happy about the updates and asks Prakash if he ever knew about the dialed number on Ananya’s mobile. Sharma recollects that he never heard about that number. Becoming suspicious about the death of Ananya, and getting a strong belief that there is another person involved other than him and Prakash, Sharma asks Prakash to come to his house at Mytas, so that they could talk more and also notes down the dialed number to inform the cops about the same. Sharma tells Prakash that he is calling the cops for more information about the number. After a tired day, Prakash feels fine about the progress of things and starts off to Sharma’s place at Nizampet in an auto. On the way Prakash tries to reach Soori over Ananya’s mobile and finds it is still switched off. He then puts a message (expecting to be read by Soori once it is switched on) across the mobile with the address of Sharma’s place asking Soori to go there.

Since the murder of Ananya, her mobile numbers have been under surveillance, and so Ananya’s mobile which was used by no one after her death suddenly received a message and this triggers the mobile network people at ECIL. According to the facts by the cellular network, Ananya’s number was either majorly called to or was dialed to only 3 numbers. One belonged to Prakash, one to Sharma, and the other number was never known to anybody’s existence. Surprisingly this number was also registered to Ananya under the C.U.G (Closed User Group) of the airline company she used to work for.

The dialed number under mystery was always switched off and the police could never unveil the mystery, to whom this number belonged to. In such circumstances a message to Ananya’s mobile and that too from Prakash’s mobile alerts the cops at Panjagutta and they note down the message which asks somebody to go to an address at Nizampet. While the cops inform the cops at Banjara Hills to track down the address on SMS, they are taken to surprise when they get another call from the mobile network that a message was sent to an Airtel mobile registered to somebody at Balanagar. The weird part about the news is that the message was sent from Ananya’s mysterious number, which was idle all these days. The cops try to reach both the numbers of Ananya. The mysterious number is ringing but nobody picks it up. They also try to reach her general mobile number.

Meanwhile at Yousufguda, Soori who is having a talk with the owner of the bar gets a call on the black berry that is getting charged and he picks it up and it is the cops. They inform him that they are trying to unravel the mystery and enquire about from where Soori got the number and where is he now. Soori with a sign of discomfort and relief narrates the whole story and informs them about his whereabouts. They inform him to stay there. After disconnecting the call, he reads the message sent by Prakash and calls him back. Prakash just then reaches Sharma’s house, and scolds Soori for telling the whole story to the cops as there could arise more complications, but asks him to move from there as soon as possible. Soori apologizes and comes out of the bar to go to Sharma’s house but gets horrified to see a few men waiting from him in the same red maruthi van that was abandoned at jubilee hills check post. The men threaten him to get into the van.

Prakash knocks on the door of Sharma’s house and the latter opens the door with a glass of whisky in his hand. Sharma welcomes and Prakash feels guilty to step into the house as it is haunted by the memories of Ananya. The walls are completely covered by Ananya’s paintings and the wedding cards of their marriage are lying on the table. Sharma taps Prakash’s shoulder in grief and asks him to join him for a drink. Prakash then also discovers that Sharma was then watching a video of Ananya’s shooting profile and lowers his head in grief. Sharma then mixes a drink and offers it to Prakash and asks if he ever knew how much he loved Ananya and starts talking about her, while Prakash listens to Sharma in silence.

The red maruthi van stops at Krishna Nagar traffic lights towards Banjara Hills and Soori somehow flees from there and reaches Banjara Hills police station. He rushes to the cops there and informs them about the whole story. The cops send some men to get hold of the van. They also after listening to his story about Ananya and the black berry mystery call the mobile network people. The latter inform that the Panjagutta cops are well updated with this and they ask the cops to check with them. After reaching Panjagutta station all the clues get connected and this is what they reveal.

According to them, after a couple of day’s silence, all of a sudden a message is sent to Ananya’s mobile about an address at Nizampet. This message is followed by weird message from the mysterious number under her name to an Airtel number which read “Call Them, Find Them & Kill Them”. This is when the cops got bewildered and listening to this Soori trembles with fear and handles the black berry phone to the cops to check for the number he got a call from Yousufguda and they give him the shock of his life with two facts. The first fact is that the Airtel number was the same number that got the message from Ananya’s mysterious number and the second news is that the last dialed number on her mobile when she was murdered and the mysterious number that has created all the troubles are same.

Everybody becomes silent and one of them tries to reach to this mysterious number. It is ringing but there is no response. Soori informs that Prakash is at Nizampet and try to reach him to tell the whole story, but his mobile is out of coverage area. They start off to Nizampet, while Soori keeps trying to reach Ananya’s mysterious number. Whom does this number belong to?
Prakash and Sharma are still having their drinks talking about the updates and then Sharma gets a call from an anonymous number. He doesn’t pick up the call but disconnects it and puts his mobile in his kurta’s pocket and leaves to the rest room. Sharma on his ways asks Prakash to pause the video and the latter tries to find the remote and just then he discovers that the mobile Sharma left unattended was still lying there. He sees there are two missed calls and recollects Sharma not taking any calls.

Just while he was about to put it back where he took it from, his hand trembles with fear and it is Ananya calling. With a chill spine he picks up the call to hear Soori’s voice who says to Prakash that owner of this number is the main culprit. Soori almost faints when he gets to know that it is none other than Sharma. Prakash disconnects the call and turns behind to see Sharma standing there with a gun pointing at Prakash’s head. Prakash with a shaken voice asks Sharma that when everything was fine, why this?

Sharma starts talking – He tells that Ananya and Sharma truly loved each other but there was something more. They were the main people behind drug trafficking. Sharma with his contacts from Bangalore used the job of Ananya as an air hostess to get the drugs delivered and everything was fine until the night Ananya was murdered, she was talking to nobody but was leaving a voice mail across the mysterious number which was used by Sharma for the dark business. Expecting a threat from Ananya, he tells Prakash that he got her killed and by luck Prakash got pulled into the same. He tells Prakash that when he discovered everything about the murder, Sharma wanted to gift him a peaceful death and that is the reason he explained everything to him. Just when Sharma is about to shoot Prakash, Soori arrives with the cops and Sharma gets killed.

Looking at the dialed numbers and messages on Sharma’s mobile, they then find out that it was Sharma who sent a message to his men to get Soori killed. These men called Soori claiming to be as cops and the former lets them know where he is. Finally, after finding some dope in Sharma’s house, the truth is revealed and Prakash is freed innocent.

Soori now owns a mobile store at Khairatabad with the money given to him by Prakash and acknowledged the latter with a small gift – a Black Berry.

Dope, Dollars, and Death by Raaj K Modi aka Rajesh Saragadam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

The Seed of Shiva II

2009-07-29T00:00:00.007+05:30

I was in my P.G. when the film SIVAMANI by Puri Jagannath released. I haven’t liked the film though. A few days later there was this Success Meet (or whatever they call it). A few fans (obviously female) were chosen for a program in some telugu channel, after winning some so called lottery to meet and share their excitement with the film Director. The fans were asking many questions to Puri garu and he was answering them all patiently. At one point he had a question for all the fans (It was like a survey). He asked them, that he was planning another film with Nagarjuna garu the following year and asked them how they would like to see him (Ironically, he might have already been ready with “SUPER”). These girls were thrilled, enthralled and started giving all kinds of answers – Nag as like in Shiva, Geethanjali, Ninne Pelladatha and more and more and more. One smart girl wanted and amalgamation of all the characters. Everybody laughed (coz that is an IMPOSSIBLE Feat).

By then I was already suffering from the Director’s Itch (I just coined this term), and started to think, how or what could project him in a fantabulous way. The next frame that struck my mind was Nag with a pair of glasses (Jaitrayaatra). The next frame was of Chiranjeevi garu with a pair of glasses (Master) followed by Venkatesh garu (Sundarakanda). I always have a gut feeling that there will be no face on Andhra Pradesh who wouldn’t have heard about SHIVA. I thought this will definitely be a marketing asset (to sell myself). So I thought why not a sequel to Shiva with Nag garu as a Lecturer again solving college problems. But No!!! Our audiences have already been introduced to similar plot (Master). Then I felt SORRY for Shiva and thought why the hell should Shiva change for anybody else (my creative mind here)? Why can’t he be himself? That is when the seed for Shiva II got sowed (that was Jan, 2004).

I had to brainstorm for a couple of months about the plot, and decided that when Shiva wanted to do it, he is ought to do it, no matter what – thus, “When You Have To Do…Do It…Do It…By Any Means”. I also decided one thing then, I with my premonition for my future, thought Shiva was released in 1989, so with the same way, my sequel has to be released when I would be around 28-29 (RGV did it then) in the year 2009. This is what I finally ended with.

The Connection

Where would be the beginning? How would I connect the film to the classic? I was lost, and I started watching the film repeatedly. Shiva, Shiva, Shiva-Shiva was the only thing in my mind. Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I watched Shiva so much that it ran for almost 100 days in my television (could be another record, nobody might have broken). Thanks to Dronacharya, for he left some mind-blowing initiatives for me in the film (I sometimes, feel, they were created only for me). These helped me to weave the plot, to begin with:

The Basic Plot

What would be the main logic behind the film or the plot? Look what Shiva says to Venkat (Sai Charan) in the hospital, after seeing the corpse of Malli (Sudhakar).

This is what Shiva exactly wanted to do. But only because Sarat’s (his brother – Murali Mohan) daughter gets assassinated by Bhavani, he out of agony and pain, seeks avenge. This is where I begun, if Shiva’s aim was to filter the society, until the first part only Ganesh (Viswanath), and Bhavani have been evened. The rest (Nanaji and gang) is happily untouched by the law and left alone to take advantage of Shiva’s absence (assuming Shiva goes to prison). Shiva wipes them out and his Clean & Green concept forms my plot.

The Interlink

Next, would be the beginning part, from where can I bring all the characters out of nowhere onto our plot. Thanks again to Dronacharya, for the most idealistic person Naresh (Jagan) – the first contestant for election who is attacked by Ganesh in the beginning is still alive, as per the following scene.

So, in the time span of 03 months, as nowhere in the movie, the time is spoken of, I assume the complete movie took place. So, in the case Naresh comes back to college, he can only meet Asha (Amala) staying with her brother Venkat, as her husband Shiva is in prison. The other batch members are either assassinated or lost. So, I felt like starting my sequel with Naresh, and Asha becoming faculty in the same college they have studied, and it is still the same college where my sequel continues.

The Antagonist

Now who the hell would be the antagonist? Machiraju (Kota Srinivas Rao). Check out the pre-climax shot in the classic.

Fortunately, with the power of one million watts of motivation (to help me out), Bhavani used his belt to strangle Machiraju to death. Now, is Machiraju dead? What if he just fainted or he lost his conscience when his servant comes running down the stairs and what if Machiraju wakes up when sprinkled over with a glass of water on his face? I leave the rest of ideas to you.

The Gang & Rivalry (Sub Plot)

Machiraju in my sequel becomes a minister to become the antagonist of the film, who would obviously be looking out for goons to help him out as Bhavani is no more. Now who would the main goon be? Ganesh!!! Check the following clip:

Ganesh is a very vital person in Bhavani’s gang, who even is not spared due to the evil mind of Bhavani. When Bhavani believes Ganesh could become a threat to his life, he orders his men to get him killed. In the above clip, Ranga (I named him) comes to kill Ganesh in the police station; just then Shiva comes to protect him (How the hell did Shiva know that Ganesh is going to get killed? Shhh!!!). So, the totally pissed off Ganesh (as you know) becomes an approver and goes to prison, and is very much alive.

The Logic

In my sequel, the movie begins with Ganesh coming out of the prison with the help of Machiraju (minister now), who wants the former to do a favor for him (Also, Ganesh wants to terminate Ranga and his gang). What could be the favor? The favor is to help Machiraju retain his minister ship. How & Why? Concentrate on the following clip very properly with your fullest attention:

Thanks for applying your concentration. So, if Viswanatham’s (Gollapudi) body was found, and if the law finds out that Machiraju was the main brain behind the entire thing, his life and career would go out for a toss.

The Best Part

Well, that’s pretty simple. I wanted to link the murder of Viswanatham to be a life and career threatening point to Machiraju, and the favor Machiraju wanted Ganesh to do was to wipe out any witness or proof about the conspiracy.

The entire scene of Bhavani meeting Viswanatham, killing him, and making his body disappear is all known to a third person. Somebody could be hiding in the trunk of the cars at the time of murder, or Brahmaji could be a traitor, or Viswanath could be wired and a million other probabilities.

The Bottom Line / Plot

Machiraju now a minister finds out that there is a proof about murder of Viswanatham, and he brings out Ganesh to make himself clean. While Ganesh is now on the road to avenge, Shiva comes out of prison, and he finds out about Machiraju and the murder. He cleans the society wiping out the evil, making Machiraju to surrender to the law, demolishing the latter's life.

PS: Please read my “Never Heard Before & Never Seen Again” (The Sequel Story). Criticize, Complement, and Complain. Help Me Chase My Dreams!

The Seed of Shiva II by Raaj K Modi aka Rajesh Saragadam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

The Seed of Direction

2009-07-19T11:48:00.003+05:30

The year was 1990 (I was in my 04th grade). My dad, who was into shipping, returned from Singapore, and got a Stereo System (Aiwa) and VCR (Mitsubishi). Hailing from middle class, nobody has ever seen or heard about such things before. The local guys around treated me like a prince, and I even started walking approx. one inch above the ground. My cousin was then in his 10+2, and my father gave him few empty audio cassettes to get some nice songs recorded. He returned after a few days with some collections and the first Telugu songs that were played on the system were Shiva & Gharshana. My mom, dad and uncles who used to listen to English, and Hindi Songs mostly Ennio Morricone, Boney M, MJ etc amazed me all of a sudden when they switched to TELUGU, and repeatedly only two movies. Slowly listening to them, I was thrown to face some old man’s music, who composed Maharshi, Kokila, Kondaveeti Donga – none other than Maestro Ilayaraja. The rest till date is always “HIS”tory.

So after listening to the same songs repeatedly, I was encountered to watch Gharshana first. Video Rentals were popular then and my cousin got Gharshana one Friday evening (Gharshana was the first telugu film played on our VCR). We were kind of a joint family, and some 10-20 members watched the film on friday night. Then again on Saturday afternoon, the same movie was played. Except to Nirosha’s swim suit song (I was 04th grade) and some action sequences, I liked nothing then. All my family members looked to me like maniacs for watching this film twice within a gap of 8 hours.

We stayed at Coromandel Gate (some 4 km) from Gajuwaka. There was a C-Class Theater (Ajanta) where only two kinds of movies used to be played; either R-Rated English Movies, or extra ordinary classics. I am bewildered that I got exposed to classics like Shiva, Gaayam, Antham, Dalapathi, Mahanadi, Kshatriya Putrudu and lot more flicks only in that theater. I am still amazed why only these two kinds of movies were played. This theater was closed for a while and opened a couple of years before rechristened as “Likhita”.

Coming back, a few weeks later after running for some hundreds of days at big theaters like Jagadamba etc, Shiva was released at Ajanta. There was a rage of madness about the film. I never saw this theater running in full for days (or say weeks), and then the day came. We went to the theater. The posters themselves pulled my complete attention. I doubted if the movie consisted of no actors other than Nagarjuna; because all the posters contained only his photo. In those days, the posters generally contained photos of major cast in the film. My dad got tickets, and I overheard my mom scolding him for purchasing tickets in black. We went inside and the film started. Hold It!!! I am not gonna tell about the film. So Chill!

During the interval, and after movie, while coming out of the theater, I heard multiple frequencies of opinions. Some said this movie is all dark. Some others didn’t just stop telling that the movie is excellent. They split the film into departments and praised all the departments. Photography, Editing, Music, Action Choreography, and on and on and on…the list never ended. Every department was ended with a single word “Superb”. Being a tender kid then, I couldn’t understand much, but all I remember was, the time the VHS was released I don’t remember how many number of times I watched that film, and I don’t even remember in how many houses I watched the film (some were total strangers!).

It could be the terrific influence of my family members who used to watch movies like hell. One of my uncles was an advocate and seldom watched films. The only few movies that I watched with him were Maharshi, Nayakudu, and some other art films (readers may not know flicks like Vaishali, Daaham Daaham, Maa Badi) etc. I remember him watching particular films frequently like “Artharaathri Swaatantryam” and “Maharshi” My other uncle was a freak, he was this youngster, and got me introduced to all kinds of Hollywood flicks like Terminator, Ghost Busters, Indiana Jones, Robocop, Rambo and lots of movies. My dad was another weirdo. He got me introduced to the soundtracks of films like Rambo, Walker, some Client Eastwood flicks etc. Both my mom and dad were fans of Viswanath garu, so much that my father once travelled for some 14 km all the way from my home to a theater (Sangam Sarat); bought the tickets for “Swathi Muthyam”, came back and took us again, just not to mess up my family members with the rush. That was the craze.

All kinds of similar incidents, made me to watch those movies, which are often watched by critics (I believe), and I used to even criticize the common super duper hit telugu flicks, which lacked sense and logic. Thanks to Ram Gopal Varma (Dronacharya), for he never came out of his boundaries and I got interested in every flick of his. There was a regular talk about him in my family members. Mostly my second uncle, he used to tell me a lot of his films. I starting getting addicted to Ram Gopal Varma so much that I should not forget to even say, that I watched films like Ardh Satya (in my 06th grade) only because I heard the film’s name from him on some TV. This severe was his impact on me.

Let me tell you an interesting incident. I was in my 10+2 and after successfully failing in 04/06 subjects in my 10+1, I was sent to a boarding school (1997-1999). By then I was a big big fan of Ram Gopal Varma, he was in my blood. “Satya” got released then, and I did not get permission to go and watch that movie. I gave one of my friend (a day scholar) 50 Rs/- only to watch Satya and got him to tell me the story. That was my madness. In the leisure time, I used to explain my friends why I didn’t like the normal telugu movies and what lacked in them compared to Ram Gopal Varma Movies. Ironically, they didn’t consider me a genius or accepted my opinion, but named me as a maniac. I was called Junior Ramu.

I watched films like Mrugam, and Gulabi only because the directors were students of Ram Gopal Varma. Gulabi (looked like another Ram Gopal Varma film with amateur taking, the songs were excellent though). But Sindhooram played a huge impact on me. I liked the movie like hell and I still consider this film to be Krishna Vamsi’s best print. But why all of a sudden Krishna Vamsi??? Well! I am still on the track and let me pull you there.I can clearly recollect Ninne Pelladatha, pulled out the creative side of me. Our family liked the film so much that there are only two films I have watched for 10 times in a theater- Ninne Pelladatha and Aithe.

In my 10+2, being in a hostel, we were closed to all kinds of entertainment but only open to Botany, Zoology etc. During the free time, I used to lie on the bed, close my eyes and start watching Ninne Pelladatha. Right from the beginning till the song “Inkaa Yedo” (I didn’t like the film after that song). So, the days passed by and every Sunday I used to watch this film. Gradually, the film faded out of my mind, and I became vexed, that I no longer remembered any scenes and then a brilliant idea struck my brain. Why the hell don’t I direct a film on my style? So, I started visualizing scenes with limited music which I liked like hell; If it was a violent scene (Satya Theme), a romantic scene (Geethanjali Title Theme), a duet (Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin & Kannulonee Roopame). It is obvious that I was the Hero, and a girl “Ushasree” (You can also call her MIND-BLOWING) was the heroine in all my shots.

I started conceiving scenes and created so well, that my friends used me in the wrong way. They used to ask me to come up with porn stories (Hold It! They were the heroes there) with several plots of all kinds of genres: thrillers, comedy what not. All of them were hit, and were retold in our circles. That is when I ended up thinking….I wish I were a Film Director (obviously not Porn!).

The Dark Room

2008-11-07T11:15:00.013+05:30

Behind The Story: When I was in my Post Graduation, we used to have frequent discussions about Ram Gopal Varma, and I was the only person on the supportive side. One of my friends stated "RGV is a Smart Idiot. He took a Movie KAUN with only three characters in a single house and made money.". This gave me an idea that when Dronacharya could make it in a single house, why not Ekalayva try for the same in a single room with three characters. With the same thought in my mind, I started off home, after college. We used to take a Bus (Number 400) to reach Gajuwaka from R.T.C Complex at Vizag, and midway was the Railway Station. As usual, the bus stopped there and a man with sweat face rushed into the bus worried with a Black Bag in his Hands. Then came the "The Dark Room". Digest the Picture below first for an understanding of the Story. Do Care To Comment as well. Thanks In Advance.

The Doors of the room open and Murali enters into the room and immediately closes the door. Carrying a Black Bag in his hands out of the common habit, he switches on the light. The bag in his hands alarm him of the biggest mistake he has done and Murali regretting the Blunder committed turns off the light and switches on the bed lamp. He immediately rushes towards his bed and places the Black Bag beneath it. He lies down on the bed and looks at the clock.

The time is 2:00 am and the whole room is quiet except for the creek from the window. He gets up steadily and peeps out of the window for any uncommon happening on the streets. He closes it off and lies back on the bed. (Something is disturbing him). He goes to the Wash Basin to wash his face.

The Basin has a mirror attached. Murali is able to see his faded reflection of his face in the Mirror due to the dull light of the bed lamp. But his untidy face with sweat all over is crystal clear. He opens the tap and cleans his face and hands off. Blood stains on his hands and face get washed away in the water like a wild smoke in the autumn forest. Picking a water bottle from the Dining Table he rests on the Bed. He drinks some Water and looks at the Telephone.

He grabs the phone and makes a call to Sudha who is his college mate staying at a Hostel nearby and tells her that there is something he has to talk to her and pleads her to come to his room the next day morning without failure. (Phone Hangs Up)

Murali gets up and moves to the window again; He opens the window and tries to notice what is happening outside. After gazing wildly from the partially open window for a while, he closes and returns to his bed staring at the clock. It is 2:30 a.m. He picks up the telephone and makes a call to Chandu, his best friend who is a locale but studying in the nearby town and requests him to come to his room the first thing the next morning without failure. (Phone Hangs Up)

The whole night Murali will not be able to sleep. Gazing at the Black Bag under the bed, peeping out of the window and looking at the lazy clock which hardly moves any time, he finds it the most difficult to get over that night. Seconds, Minutes, Hours pass by and Murali doesn’t even if he slept or not.

Murali regains his senses and combating the hangover of the last night he opens his eyes to see the clock showing 8:00 am and jumps on to the floor to confirm if everything was a nightmare or not. The Black Bag under the bed worries him more. Repenting for what has happened last night, he searches for a suitable place in the room to hide this bag. He finds that the Cupboard will be a better hiding place and opens the Cupboard.
(The Cupboard consists of 3 Shelves with the bottom rack and the top rack being empty and the middle rack arranged with books.) He places the Black Bag in the bottom rack of the cupboard and then opens the window to see what is happening outside and then closes it again. He then goes to have a bath.

Hearing a knock on the door, Murali rushes to the door with a towel covering his wet masculine body with hair all over his chest surrounded by pumping muscles all over. He opens the door to find a girl wearing Jeans and a Shirt staring at him. (Sudha arrives). She comes in and sits on the bed asking him for something to eat. Murali goes in to get something for her when Sudha observes that the window is closed, she tries to open the window a refrains after hearing Murali’s scary shout not to open the window; Just before Sudha demands an explanation Murali pushes her on to the bed and starts kissing her all over. Sudha pushes him away and asks what has happened and why did Murali call her the last night.

Murali’s facial expressions change all of a sudden and then he gets up out of the bed and opens the cupboard to take the Black Bag out of that. Sudha mysteriously looks at the bag and opens it. (And a few hours pass away)

Sudha opens the door after hearing several knocks on the door to find a guy standing there with a college bag (Chandu Enters). Sudha welcomes him and introduces herself and tells that Murali has gone outside to file a complaint against the Telephone as it is not working properly and will be right back. Chandu enters inside the room.

The only window in the room which is closed and hiding all the light away from the room catches the attention of Chandu and he moves forward to open it. He senses Sudha staring at him and just then the Telephone rings. With a confused look Chandu looks at the ringing Telephone and stares at Sudha. She comforts him stating that the defect might have been rectified and Murali should start off soon. With a smile on his face, Chandu approaches the Cupboard to find any book to kill some time.

Chandu opens the door of the Cupboard and almost faints after he shockingly finds the dead body of Murali in the Last Shelf of the Cupboard. Before he could believe it to his eyes, he gets a big blow on his head by some metallic objects and Chandu faints for real now.

After some time, Chandu regains his senses to find himself tied to one of the chairs and a tape stuck to his mouth. He sees Sudha sitting on the Floor weeping. Scared Sudha starts explaining that druken Murali steals somebody’s money the last night and then calls Sudha to his room; and then while explaining the whole scene Sudha gets horrified at this and pleads Murali to go to the Police Station. But Murali doesn't listen to her and argues. Sudha hits Murali with an Iron Box and Murali falls to the ground dead; exactly at that moment Chandu knocks on the door. So confused Sudha has nothing to do but worriedly hides Murali’s Body in the Shelf.

After hearding her story, Chandu feels sorry for her and then he promises Sudha that he would not create trouble but help her. Sudha then comes and unties him. Chandu then asks her about the bag. Sudha takes out the bag she has hidden it under the bed and shows it to him. He then asks Sudha to wash her face, while he picks up the Telephone to call the Police. Chandu dials a 3 digit number and starts talking. Satisifed Sudha goes to the wash basin to wash her face. She opens the Tap, bends down to water her face. She rises back to find in the mirror, Chandu standing behind her with the same Iron Box which Sudha used earlier to attack Murali. But before Sudha could realize the situation and pick up any strength Chandu strangles her to death with the wire of the Iron Box.

After sending her to death, Chandu reaches to the Telephone to confirm that he dialed 199 instead of 100. After hearing an invalid number message over the Telephone, he sighs with a relief and now picks up a cigarette lying on the table and starts picking the books at a random pace and putting them back. (The Cupboard now has Books in the top rack, The body of Sudha in the middle rack and Murali in the bottom rack). Once done, he goes to the window to throw away the finished Cigarette when something strange outside the window catches his attention. With a horrifying look on his face, he hurriedly takes the Black Bag and comes out of the room; closes the Doors and goes off.

After crossing a few streets he enters into a House with a few people observing silence. He takes few steps ahead to find his weeping Mother at the corner of a room in the house. Chandu seeks for an explanation when his mother points him to a room inside. Chandu in a confused state goes in and with fear only to see the corpse of his Father lying inside.

His Mother comes and tells “Your Uncle has newly shifted to this place and has been to outstation. Your Aunt was not feeling well and she asked for me and your Father to come here. Some thief broke last night, robbed us killing your Father”. Chandu with fear in his eyes slowly comes out and opens the Black Bag he left outside. His Mother who follows him outside to see what was in the Black Bag and gets faints after identifying the same Jewelry in the Black Bag that was stolen the previous night.

Chandu in a horrified state of mind slowly drags his feet and forcibly looks up at the sky into nowhere. The Dark Room with the windows open is staring at him lonely.

The Dark Room by Raaj K Modi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Welcome To My World - II

2008-10-02T00:00:00.001+05:30

(Welcome To My World Cont. )

My Life with unknown filmi spirits took me to the high skies. I took a tyipical hyderabadi room (A Double Bedroom House, divided into 3 partions, one of them was mine) at Khairatabad, and everday evening I used to go to my terrace not for the skies and the stars but with an aspiration to become a behind-the-celluloid star, I used to spend hours looking at Taj Krishna (I've heard RGV spends most of his time there, whenever he is at Hyd).

Working at IVYCOMPTECH for a graveyard shift let me feel like a lion in the forest, as I felt I have the complete freedom (the whole day) to chase my dreams. But the reality was much different.

Despite meeting the concurrent movie legends like Trivikram garu, Krishna Vamsi garu, Senior Vamsi garu, Just Yellow Productions (I will discuss my interactions with these in a separate entry) and a couple of other people, nothing moved. I was taken aback.

My work routine consisted of work and only work. I used to be working on the 5th floor, and during breaks, I used to grab two cups of cappucino and stand near the corridor of the building, to watch Annapoorna Studio. We all know about the Fox which used to look at the Grape hanging high. My case was different. I was high on the 5th floor with Annapoorna Studio luring me from the ground. I spent 9 months looking at Annapoorna Studios and Taj Hotels and dream more and more. (Ofcourse!!! there was not a single place which I left trying for my dreams).

At my tenure at IVYCOMPTECH, other than the regular forwards, some of my stories used to be circulated via outlook. One among them was a super hit plot called "The Dark Room' (I will be posting that soon). My managers used to call me RGV and some even started claiming that Rajesh joined this place only because IVYCOMPTECH is adjacent to Annapoorna Studios. After 9 months, the company downsized for some reasons, and around 1100 employees lost our jobs with mindblowing compensation that anybody can ever imagine.

My next and the present Organization since Jan, 2007 is a small and pretty office at Ameerpet. I have joined there as a Sales Guy (American Shipping Company). After a successful failure of not getting a single sale, My real BIG BOSS planned to change my career and moved me to the software as a Business Analyst. From then I have been working content with my Management taking real good care of me and my middle class responsibilities.

But that was not all. My story has a twist and a turn here. The twist is that even my CEO wanted once to become a Director but because of some things he moved to America ages back. Even today he sometimes repents for not becoming a Director. Now, the turn is he is a big fan of Nandamuri. I am not much. So there is nothing more to discuss.

So, presently with my Company taking care of me completely, I find some time to bore you guys with my Blogs. I am these days, not going to any studios or meeting any people. Know why??? I at the beginning told you that my one and only dream was to make a movie under Ram Gopal Varma and I found his Blog as a platform to communicate. View Ram Gopal Varma Blog.

Iam presently spending most of my time at home after work, writing stories, watching movies for a better understanding.

So that is all enough of me....Wait for the real stuff, beginning from my next blog, which include "My World, My Stories, My Reviews, My Encounters" and more. Bye For Now.

Welcome To My World

2008-10-01T00:00:00.001+05:30

Good Morning Folks,

Well on my first post, I wanted to bring out something to the world, that I have been retaining within me all these years. I don't know what kind of force is behind me, but I have done something, which I will be explaning a few lines (sorry paras) from now.

I always wanted to become a part of the Celluloid as a Director, since my Graduation (1999-2002). I hail from the City of Destiny (Visakhapatnam). Being a middle class idiot carrying the burden of responsibilities which got me tied to the materialistic matters of education, job and the other stuff, I was always a day dreamer. Coming back to movies stuff, and Director Dreams, I am an ardent fan of Ram Gopal Varma. I was so fascinated to this person, that a few years back a friend gifted me a photoframe with a Picture of Ram Gopal Varma on my birthday,and I consider it as the best gift I've received in my life till date. Weird Right??? I know, but I can't help it. Why Ram Gopal Varma? Because he is one who only does what he feels like and never gives a damn to the world. My friends used to say, I unknowingly carry some attitude with me. They knew about my dreams. They have read a couple of my stories and knew, I am fine enough to "Chase My Dreams'. After finishing my MBA at GVP, Vizag (2003-2005), I have joined HSBC into Chargebacks Department. That was my another family. I miss them even today. At breaks, we only had one discussion...RGV, RGV and RGV. We were almost a team of 20 and in the ratio of 2:18, we used to argue. Me and my friend Kiran were for RGV and you know the rest against. People so irritated by my fascination for RGV, started calling me RGV.

I served there for some six months, and then my family astrologer suggested me that March, 2006 is gonna be a turning point of my life. He knowing about my dreams, suggested me to move to Hyderabad, and I never knew that it seriously would happen. I was the only bread winner of my family and my parents were worried about the running of my family. My parents did'nt want me to be another ill luck guy with soiled clothes and stories, accompanying the security guards at major film studios, saluting to every person who comes and goes just to fulfil my dreams. I was so taken, that I put down my papers at HSBC and as the days were passing by, my worries complemented by torture at home started growing in folds.

Just then an organization, came down to vizag looking for employees. One of my friends at HSBC, who was from Hyderabad, showed me an Ad in Hindu about the company. I for frankly, never heard or knew about the company. But I spoke to myself, If this fellow could afford for the complete bottom half of the Hindu Main Edition first page, then he/she could be real big.

It was a Friday, and I lied to my Manager that I was stuck in a traffic jam. We used to have fruit jams at Vizag, but no traffic jams. I called her and told that I will be late by 2 hours and she was fine. I attended the interview and shockingly the entire conversation was mostly on movies. Mr. Peter, the person who would be my futuristing Manager was as usual against RGV and I was fighting for. Surprisingly, I got selected with exactly a 200% salary hike and my joining date (21st, March, 2006) was exactly 3 days after my last day at HSBC (18th, March, 2006). My family's happiness knew no bounds. All were looking at it as a job. But me, my Dreams.

My first step officially was at Hyderabad Central, when my friend received me, and I could smell Cinema all over. Me only knowing Jagadamba and Chitralaya Theaters at Vizag, was bewildered when I have been to "Rang De Basanti" at PVR the same evening, I arrived at Hyderabad. Both the Movie and the Cinema Hall were beyond my expectations. The next day I started to my Office.

Trivia One: I don't know, what can you call it, or how does it happen. The Organization I got selected for was IVYCOMPTECH and is only a wall away from Annapoorna Studios. (To Be Contd...)

Trivia Two: The first story I have written was a sequel to SHIVA. Yeah....SHIVA by RGV.