Uttam is a self-taught artist. The Editor of Andhra Bhoomi, Kanakambara Raju discovered his talent and appointed him as staff artist. Soon he became a celebrity.

Uttam nurtured the idea of studying art in USA. He went to Chicago, learnt BG art and animation and also worked in Startoons, an animation company. After he completed his tenure, he returned to India with a vision. He was responsible for setting up of Heart Animation Academy and later Color Chips India Ltd. He was solely responsible for converting Hyderabad into an animation hub.

Uttam is an artist first and the last and arguably not the ideal material for business ventures.

He had to quit animation and retreat into a world of his own.

Some people know how to kick-start and are no good drivers.

Vincent Prose came with his wife Claudia and son Jackriah on a special assignment to Heart Animation Academy.

He was our Expert Faculty. While his predecessor, Mike Owens was a squash and stretch animator, Vicent was a real character animator. Being an expert anatomist he designed real life characters and animated them. His characters moved with grace and dignity unlike the cartoony characters that hopped, jumped, squashed, stretched and crushed.

Students of the Academy were thrilled at his animation.

They called him “Vincent Poetry”

My friend Appa Rao has a beautiful library.

He has put up a sign that reads:

“All these books are available in the market. Please go and buy them. These books are
neither for reference nor for sale”

Ramakrishna Pukkalla, a fellow cartoonist became a close friend of mine in my three decades of association with him. He was my admirer to begin with and we used to correspond with each other. He was working in New Delhi when I first visited him. He took me and my wife on a sight-seeing tour in and around Delhi.

Years later when I joined an Animation Production house in Hyderabad, Ramakrishna met me there. Having retired from Services, he was on the look out for a suitable post-retirement assignment. He evinced interest in Animation. Fortunately for him there was a training program under my guidance and he readily joined. He learnt the techniques and came out successfully. He was appointed as an artist in the Syndication department and later was entrusted with the faculty responsibilities too in the Animation division.

Ramakrishna used to meet me often for advice, assistance and concept development.
I was writing a lot for him. Even after we moved apart and relocated in different places, Ramakrishna continues to keep in touch with me on various assignments and my writing job continues with same vigor.

I met Srinivas, a fellow cartoonist some thirty years ago and ever since our friendship had grown manifold. Srinivas secured a job in USA and he continues to draw cartoons. His cartoons appear in magazines like Wall street Journal.

I had the opportunity of visiting my daughter in Houston, USA in 2005 where Srinivas came to meet me. We had a nice time together. When Srinivas was about to leave, I told him that was the last time I would be meeting him. But I met him in 2007 and also in 2008 in USA

Every time I tell Srinivas that I am meeting him for the last time, I get an opportunity of meeting him again and again.