'Grama Jyothi' is KCR New Drama

Telangana Telugu Desam Party president L. Ramana on Monday alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his son and minister K Tarakarama Rao were enacting a new drama in the name of 'Grama Jyothi'.

Speaking to media persons here, Ramana said that the new scheme, launched by KCR in Warangal district, was aimed at misleading the farmers. He alleged that KCR was not serious about the welfare of farmers, he said that the Telangana Government has even neglected the families of those who committed suicide. He said that the TDP Government of Andhra Pradesh has raised the ex-gratia amount to Rs. 5 lakh for the families of farmers who committed suicide.

Ramana asked KCR to take practical steps for the farmers' welfare instead of trying to get publicity through programmes like 'Grama Jyothi'.

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Srimanthudu effect: Mahesh Babu donates Rs 2.5 lakhs to a fans!

Mahesh Babu is in cloud nine post the worldwide success of his latest entertainer Srimanthudu. The film not only gave him a much needed hit but has also raked over Rs 100 crore at box office.


And now we hear that, Mahesh Babu, taking a leaf out of Srimanthudu, is indulging in charity work. After the news broke that he is adopting his native village, Burripalem, a little birdie tells us that the actor has now donated Rs 2.5 lakhs to fans family. Apparently, the Telugu superstar’s PA has handed over a cheque of Rs 2.5 lakhs to one his unfortunate fans, who lost his family in an accident when they were on their way to buy a cake for Mahesh’s birthday. Also, an another person, who was injured in the accident, was handed over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh.

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Shakeela, the woman who inspired genres without ever doing porn

It starts with a shrug in her voice. The 38-year-old's first directorial venture, Romantic Target, failed to get attention, leave alone draw reviews. A Telugu gossip site claims the film was released earlier this year in one screen. Regardless, she doesn't take it badly – at least on the surface: "It ran for a week ma. That's fine. Films now run for 2-3 days," she says over the phone from Chennai.


If she'd had her way, the Malayalam Neelakurinji Poothu, not Romantic Target, would've been her first stint as filmmaker. But the 2013 project was shelved on the initial day of the shoot, because producer Jaffar Kanjirappally had insisted that she also act in it. "I wanted Nandita Das, but he insisted. I wouldn't give in, so we dropped it."


Kanjirappally had produced 19 of her films when she was one of the most sought-after actresses in Malayalam cinema. Her films had made him tremendous money, he'd declared, so why not have similar hopes from this one. It wasn't to be.

Today, Shakeela bides her time on the PlayStation and TV. Her autobiography Shakeela: Atmakatha, published in Malayalam in 2013, is being translated into Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. There are no plans for an English version yet, but excerpts crept into a handful of English publications. The story of India's 'softcore superstar', whose repertoire spans 110 films in several languages, had people riveted.

It still does, even in these days of internet porn – which the government sought to ban, then unban after the outcry that came their way. Given the context, one asks her what she makes of the situation. "I didn't even know about this," she exclaims. "But now that you mention it, it's just silly."

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