HYDERABAD: Meet director Raj Madiraju, know for films such as Rishi and Andhra Pori, who has now donned the role of a writer. His debut book titled Sira released on Saturday is the story of the flaws of the education system, the pressures children experience and the causes behind student suicides. Acclaimed novelist Yandamuri Veerendranath unveiled it.
“If you are writing a novel, write like Yandamuri garu. If you are making a film, do it like Krishna Vamsi. And if you are acting, perform like Rajasekhar garu. That’s the generation we belong to,” said Raj thanking the guests on the dias before elaborating about his book.
He said: Sira details the loopholes in the legal system, throws light on the current education system and the mindset of teens. Many children committed suicide after watching a web series. Some children kill themselves because their father scolds them.
Director Krishna Vamsi said this is the first book on the topic since Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Three Mistakes Of My Life’. Actor Rajasekhar said, “I recently watched ‘Hindi Medium’ which told us how hard parents are working to give the education to their kids. Exams are eating up a lot of time. And stress is leading to suicides. Such books are the need of hour.”
Writer Yandamuri Veerendranath said, “There are three kinds of novels. In the first type, nothing socially relevant is found. In the second type, social issues are taken up and solutions skipped. In the third type, solutions too are offered. I don’t know in which of the last two categories ‘Sira’ falls.” Actor and lawyer CVL Narasimha Rao said, “Raj is my friend. I played a lawyer in his ‘Rishi’. ‘Sira’ presents a legal perspective and reads like a thesis. So, it’s more than just a novel.
This is the one novel that has enlightened me that ‘nyayam’ owes its origin to the Vedas. It’s amazing.” Senior journalist Rammohan Naidu said, “Siddharth in ‘Sira’ dies in the end by jumping off from a building. Reading this novel is like knowing reality as it’s happening in the world. This novel wakes you up. I’m happy that Raj has penned a relevant one.”