BANGALORE: If you love drama and if you are waiting for a spark of inspiration to set you off writing about social responsibility, then do not wait to grab the latest by author Kum Veerabhadrappa — Hemareddy Malamma Kathe. The book was released on Sunday at Gandhi Bhavan. Among the guests were Kannada writer and Jnanapeeth awardee Chandrashekara Kambara, crtic C N Ramachandra, crtic O C Nagabhushan, writer V Variepet, and Kannada writer Dr Kamala Hampana. Hemareddy Malamma, as many would know, is a popular figure in the history of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. This dramatic novel narrates the story of a village that lies between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and which is named after her. The novel addresses the issues of rural areas including undying social and civic issues. The drama uses Hamareddy Malamma as a metaphor to bring the issues that plague the village to the fore. One of the important characters in the novel is Padmavati, who is an artist, and the story revolves around her and her experiences in the village. City Express spoke to Veerabhadrappa about his inspiration and experiences in life that has motivated him to write this book. “I have spent more than thirty years in that village as a primary school teacher. I was residing there during the emergency period of 1975-78. I have seen and undergone the various atrocities that has changed the lives of many. In this novel, Hemareddy Malamma plays a role of feudal lord who in the later life becomes a saint in the end. All these are the main sources of inspiration to write this book,” he said.Veerabhadrappa, recipient of of the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award, has published over three hundred short stories and 17 novels out of which nine of them have been adopted on the silver screen. He hopes that this book too will be taken up as a theme as many people would love the concept. “It is possible that this novel will be made into a movie too. But it is a very challenging yet interesting subject,” he commented. The writer hopes that this book will embark on the minds of people and will instill in them a sense of social responsibility. Adding on to the point, he said, “There are many Kannada and Telugu writers who hit on the topic. And there are a lot of readers who enjoy such work. In fact, there are many in Bangalore who are interested in such classic novels. Many critics and important readers who have already read this book have liked it and appreciated it. I am sure it will be the same with others in the city.”“I will be releasing my next book called Udupugalu in over three months. It is a political satire that encircles around social problems as well. There will be many enthusiastic readers looking forward to it,” he added. The book was published by Sapna Book House and the event that attracted over 400 readers and critics.
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