Chilkuri Sushil Rao

Jamuna was a strong-willed woman. Beautiful. And Courageous. I recall a conversation I had with her. When I went to her house at Banjara Hills – this was more than two decades ago – I could hear some commotion. I was at the gate, wondering whether I should enter or not, though she had asked me to come over for an interview. I stood at the gate for a couple of minutes. It was a hard decision to take. Was I there at the wrong time? I could hear shouts and shrieks. I chose to take a few steps back. A well-known actress, Jamuna was not just known for her sterling performances in her films. To borrow Christopher Marlowe’s description of ‘Helen of Troy’, Jamuna’s face could launch a thousand ships. She had done films with the reigning heroes of her time – N T Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageshwara Rao. When she was 16 years old, Jamuna made her screen debut with the film ‘Puttillu’ in 1953. Wikipedia which mentions that she was active in acting in films till 1983. Back to Jamuna’s house. I ran...

Remembering dining with Nizam V111, Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur There was something about him. His Royal Humility. His Royal Simplicity. The only time Nawab Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur chose to go public was on one particular occasion in Hyderabad. I was more than happy to be part of his cavalcade when this happened. There was something about his persona. It spoke more for him than the few words that he would utter. There was more to him than just being Nizam, the V111. Being the titular successor to the last Nizam V11, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the grandson did little to either flaunt his title or his wealth. The only time Nawab Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur chose to go public was on one particular occasion in Hyderabad. I was more than happy to be part of his cavalcade when this happened. Mukarram Jah married the beauty queen of Turkey, Manolya Onur in 1989. The former Miss Turkey, Manolya Onur sat by her husband’s side ...