Moogavani Pillanagrovi (Ballad of Ontillu) by Kesava Reddy, translated by the author

Moogavani Pillanagrovi (Ballad of Ontillu)
Kesava Reddy
Translated by the author (Telugu)
First published 1993, I read 2013 translation
114 pages, common man's tragedy, mental illness

Many thanks to Oxford University Press India for providing a review copy of this book.

After being forced to sell his land, an elderly farmer faces a mental breakdown that finally ends in his death.

This is my first video review! Watch it here:

References: 

Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2014 (National Crime Records Bureau)
"Centre must step in to stop farmer suicide, Madras HC says" by A Subramanil (Times of India)

"How many farmers does India really have? Or, what percent of the population does farming?" (Stirring the Pyramid)

Further reading:

"Why Farmers are Protesting with Human Skulls at Jantar Mantar" (thewire.in) (video)
"BJP ignoring farmer suicides by pushing for stricter cow slaughter laws: Sena" (Hindustan Times)
"West Bengal: Potato farmers commit suicide even after bumper harvest" by Indrajit Kundu (India Today)
"India's sugarcane farmers: A cycle of debt and suicide" by Janos Chiala (Al Jazeera)
"Stories of survival: Widows of India's farmer suicides" by Deepti Asthana (Al Jazeera)
"Why Bihar Sees Fewer Farmer Suicides Than More Developed States" by Sanjiv Phansalkar (Huffington Post India)

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Bale Bale Magadivoy, directed by Maruthi Dasari

Bale Bale Magadivoy
India (Telugu), 2015
137 min, romantic comedy
Directed by Maruthi Dasari
Starring Nani and Lavanya Tripathi

Lucky is a young, good-hearted plant scientist with one major flaw: a mental disorder that makes him get distracted incredibly easily. This interferes with his life in various ways, and now it is interfering with his ability to find a girl and get married. When his father arranges for Lucky to meet the father of a prospective bride, Lucky gets distracted by a series of random events in full view of his prospective father-in-law – leading him to believe that Lucky is a terrible human being.

When Lucky accidentally runs into the girl, Nandana, he falls in love and tries to conceal his problem of forgetting everything. Many of his actions turn into (or are passed off as) incredible philanthropy, and Nandana falls in love with him partially because of his apparent goodness. But how long can he keep this up? Will he ever get the girl?

Disability

Lucky’s habit of forgetting things is treated as a disability throughout the film – and not just because he thinks he has to hide it. Throughout his life, his father has told him that he will never amount to anything, or be able to get married, because of his forgetfulness. And it does significantly impact his life - he has trouble carrying out the simplest tasks because he forgets about them halfway, and he has a lot of trouble with accidentally giving away his belongings – including his father’s car!

Eega, directed by S. S. Rajamouli

Eega
India (Telugu), 2012
145 min, speculative, revenge, satire, comedy
Directed by S. S. Rajamouli

Nani has been trying to attract Bindu's attention for two years, and although she hasn't expressed it he thinks she likes him. Bindu works for an NGO focusing on children's education and creates micro art in her spare time. Sudeep is a manipulative bastard of a CEO who believes that he can get any woman to sleep with him in a blink of the eye.

When Sudeep sets his eyes on Bindu, he becomes enraged because she pays attention to Nani instead of to him. He kidnaps and murders Nani, with the intention of capturing Bindu in her weakened emotional state. Unfortunately for him, Nani is reborn as a fly and comes to wreak havoc upon his murderer.

But how can a fly take revenge on a human? And how can Nani make Bindu understand who he is?

Watch the first half on youtube: 

Buy from Amazon: 

EEGA Special Edition Telugu DVD Fully Boxed and Sealed - 2 Disc set

1947 Santoshabad Passenger and Other Stories, edited by Dasu Krishnamoorty and Tamraparni Dasu

Source: Amazon

1947 Santoshabad Passenger and Other Stories
Translations of Telugu Short Stories
Edited and translated by Dasu Krishnamoorty and Tamraparni Dasu
2010 by Rupa Publications
265 pages, short story anthology

This collection features never-before translated Telugu short stories by a wide range of authors, including what is considered to be the first Telugu short story published in 1902.

The stories address the struggles and travails - as well as the beauty - of life at all its stages, from the birth of a child to friendship and romance at old age. At the same time, they paint vivid pictures of social problems and changes to society during the course of the 20th century.

Since the Internet is lacking in a description of the stories contained in this book and their authors, I have provided a list with short descriptions of each work. After that, I analyze a few of my favorite stories from this collection.

Buy from Amazon here: 

1947 Santoshabad Passenger and Other Stories