You know the story. Now know the story behind the story in Saye Sekhar's book "WittyLeaks" 

You know the story. Now know the story behind the story in Saye Sekhar's book "WittyLeaks" 

When a celebrity journalist like Saye Sekhar deems it worthy to say some kind words about my professionalism, it speaks more for his magnanimity and generosity than me deserving such praise. 

Appreciation by a peer, especially by a friend and colleague with whom I worked shoulder to shoulder, is valuable and precious. 

While reading Saye Sekhar’s debut book “WittyLeaks”, I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter. Saye is known for his wit and grit. He has stored every single detail in his mind over the last few decades to recall and put them down in writing.

That’s the man. A journalist who will seek out the last detail possible to know. His photographic memory, as I have seen, is exceptional.

At times, when I was reading the book, I simply put it aside and wondered: “How could the man do this?” “How could he pursue a story so doggedly without giving up?” “What drives him to go beyond the horizon to explore the impossible?”

Saye Sekhar is a self-made journalist. His exploits as a journalist are his very own achievements. 

Saye Sekhar’s stories would explode, almost all the time, on the front page of the newspaper. They would explode right into the face of politicians, their rivals, bureaucrats and leave the journalistic fraternity wondering how and from where he got his earthshaking stories from. For the readers, it was worth reading the newspaper that day. And there was always a promise that there were more to follow. Without saying it in as many words, Saye would indicate: “Watch this space”.

In “WittyLeaks”, Saye recounts his interactions with politicos, industrialists, film personalities, bureaucrats and the like takes us on a journey. It is like a friend, walking alongside you, and narrating all the fun he’s had doing those hard-hitting stories and how he got to land them. 

After coming to power and becoming chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy made a telephone call to Saye. Why would he do that? 

Early one morning, the telephone at Saye’s home rang. It was N T Rama Rao’s call. Why would NTR call him?

. 

Dhirubhai Ambani was eager to speak to Saye. 

There is no boasting anywhere as if to drop the names. These interactions that Saye had with them, and many others showed, that getting that big story that day mattered to him. 

You must also read about how deftly he managed a situation and did an interview with N Chandrababu Naidu. 

My joy knew no bounds when I came to the acknowledgements towards the end of the book. 

“My dearest friend Ch Sushil Rao, Editor (special reports), The Times of India, Hyderabad, wrote a blog of anecdotes from his professional life as a reporter. This inspired me to put down my own,” he wrote.

“Whenever I published a post on Facebook reminiscing on the events behind the stories, numerous friends complimented me and exhorted me to compile them in book form. Finally, on one of our meetings in June 2024, Sushil set a deadline for me to do that. Sushil, I cannot thank you more,” Saye wrote.

So, quite naturally, I was thrilled when Saye’s book “WittyLeaks” got published and chief minister A Revanth Reddy released it.

It would appear like I am lavishing too much praise on myself but do me a favour if you read Saye’s book. Do not miss Chapter 34. At page 145, read the last paragraph. Happy reading.