Some students who joined the Heart Animation Academy were school drop outs. It was their penchant for fine line drawing that found them a berth in the Academy. When they moved into their second year of training, there was a selection process to segregate them into different skill levels. A select few were given the work-stations.

I summoned the selected students and told them that they were very lucky to be put in the stations.

One student began to tremble. He asked me in Telugu. “What mistakes have I done to be put in the station (meaning Police station)?

I was at Rajahmundry with Bapu, when shooting of “Manavuri Pandavulu” was in progress. The location was an isolated bungalow at the town outskirts. Bapu was scripting an important scene with the big starcast, Krishnama Raju, Rao Gopal Rao, Allu Ramalingiah, Krishnamohan, and Chriranjeevi.

Chiranjeevi was a fresher then to the tinsel world. He looked vibrant and full of enthusiasm clothed in his role costumes. He looked exceptionally simple. I introduced myself and he immediately stood up and shook hands with me. He was pleased to have met Jayadev, the cartoonist.

A few years later I met him at Vijaya Bapineedu’s office (Chennai). He was in his full make up and his eyes glowed on seeing me.

Many years later, I met him in his residence at Jubilee Hills (Hyderabad) on the occasion of his birthday. He was extremely courteous to remember all our previous meetings and gave me an affectionate hug.

A couple of days ago, I saw him on the TV addressing a mammoth rally at the Parade Grounds. Though attired as a politician he looked his usual self, a simple human being.

Prajarajyam Party Election Symbol

Every physiological function is pleasure oriented, eating, sneezing, coughing, defecating, urinating, sexual intercourse, etc.

Death perhaps gives the highest pleasure in life, during those defining moments when life itself reaches its end!

Sundar Rao, our Physical Director wanted to admit his son into BSc Degree course of our college. He requested the Principal to allot a seat.

The Principal went through the application and asked the PD “is this boy, your own son?”

The PD replied “My wife says so sir!”

The Principal gave the admission.

Spiritual attainment is related to an individual’s insight into self knowledge. Lord Krishna explains at length this truth in the Bhagavad-Gita.

Lord Krishna conveyed this message to Arjuna as if it were in a dream. In a fraction of a second Arjuna experienced the revelation.

It was a thirty minute flight by Continental Express from Houston to Dallas. Conant received me at the Dallas Air-port. He drove me in his wagon that had a window on its roof. I could have a clear view of both the sky-scrapers and the road side right from my seat. As I was enjoying the happy ride the car came to a sudden halt. Conant said, “Here’s where Kennedy was shot!”

Melancholy swept across my face.

I remembered the day I was seated in a barber’s shop(in Madras) years ago when news broke that that John F. Kennedy the finest leader the world had ever known was assassinated.

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.

In the Heart Animation Academy everything was a mess to begin with. The faculty did not know what to teach and the students’ expectations were too high. I was put to pressure.

What was missing in the Academy was a curriculum. I needed therefore somebody who could frame the curriculum and offer it as course material. Mike Owens came from Startoons. He taught the grammar of animation. Before that he made sure that students understood the laws of motion.

Mike put the Academy on wheels.

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”