Veg seller to  RJ

 HYDERABAD:  Life unfolds
I came to Hyderabad to become an anchor. Unfortunately, I had to manage for eleven months with one meal a day. But as luck would have it, I ended up in working for a cloth merchant. My father sent me to Hyderabad trusting two people, he had helped in the past but they put me up in a hotel, which gave me food at erratic times. This was intolerable for me and I rushed back to my village Palakonda which is four kilometers away from city. My grandmother started taunting me for staying unemployed at home. This forced me to come to Hyderabad again. I found a job in a fan company which was at Jagadgirigutta. They paid me `750  for a month from which I used to send 400 to my family in the village. I was living in a small room. I would have bruises if I stretch my body. I was badly affected by malaria once and  I rushed to my village again and stayed there for six months.

After that I returned to Hyderabad to work for a cloth show room (Chandana Brothers, Abids). They paid me `600.  It was there I learnt how to announce. Actually I have a habit of humming while doing my job. Once I announced randomly in the shop  for fun, and this was being observed by someone named Tirupathi, cashier of the store.  He recognised my hidden talent and he asked me to announce during Aashadam sale to attract customers. They made me their official announcer. They gave me a cabin and fan. My modulation was such that it used to attract every customer. From a housekeeping boy which almost soiled my dress , I turned to be an announcer. I worked there for four and half years and my salary was not upgraded. From there I shifted to Patny Chandana Brothers where I was offered `1,200 per month. 

This was going on for quite sometime when one accountant grew envious of me and lied to the owner that I had asked for one lakh loan, which the owner believed and drove me out of the shop.
When he drove me from the job I swore at him stating that he can’t find a Telugu announcer like me since I was the most demanding Telugu announcer.  I was over confident and felt that I would find job elsewhere, but to hell with I didn’t find one and again I got back to the pavilion of hardship. For that matter working in a cloth showroom was a like a piece of cake. We get boarding, lodging, salary and also some commission. 

 I approached other cloth showrooms but none of them offered me a job. This again drove me to starvation for eleven months. At last, I got the job of selling tickets for Ravi Teja’s movie Venki at Ranga Bhujanga theatre at Jeedimetla. I ran small errands since then to meet my both ends.

Trials and tribulations
 Once while I was working for Chandana Bros, a person had come, who happened to be a president of Mimicry Artist Association. They made a small skit based on the movie Premaku Velayera, where Prakash Raj preaches to Brahmanandam for his mistakes. The scene was made into a skit for an ad. When the owner questioned the artist on why his mimic sounds like Shoban Babu, but not like Prakash Raj.  For that the president replied that there is no one in the whole city who can mimic Prakash Raj’s voice.

Then our owner assured him that I can mimic his voice effortlessly. And when I was called to do the same, I did exactly like Prakash Raj. This hurt the ego of the president.Then I realised that I can’t make livelihood with mimicry shows. The president of the association being egoistic didn’t allow me to take up any mimicry job. Whenever people recommended me for mimicry show, he used to belittle me and took away my chances. 

The bad days were back
In those 11 months, I stayed in a small house at Gajularamaram along with four members. I paid `150 rent. I got fed up with life and just when I was to give up and get back to my village, I thought of taking a chance to get back to my old cloth showroom job with which I was well acquainted. I went four times to the shop and when I was about to be submissive and join again the owner swore at me saying that I won’t fit any where else. This hurt my ego. Then to my surprise the owner himself offered me a job asking to gather three more announcers for his new branches of the showroom. This was a like stroke of luck for me. 

Radio stint
There were auditions going on for Big FM. I wanted  to take a chance in this field. Murthy, who is now for MAA TV, knew my condition and he introduced me to Vishwamohan. He again introduced me to another person who was none other than the man whose ego was hurt when I spoke like Prakash Raj (president of mimicry artists association).

After seeing him I was under the impression that I would not be selected because he was the key person who was to send the candidates inside the auditions. I got there at 6am but was made to wait until 10.30pm. He did this deliberately to persuade me to give up on the audition, but I was also obstinate and sat till 10.30pm with only one samosa to eat. The selection committee was almost exhausted. 

They randomly asked me to speak something. I asked them to give a topic. They asked me to speak on youth, which I did spontaneously. This impressed them so much so that they sent me for further training by flight to MICA Ahmedabad.  I was a person who never boarded a train. Today I am here. 

Secret Mantra:
The way I say “Excuse me” connects well with people. They feel like I am addressing them personally and makes them happy.
Biggest Secret:
My biggest secret is my temperament. I get uncontrollable anger sometimes. 
Current Shows:
My show RJ Krish Garage saved many people from committing suicides.  Roshini organisation have approached to collaborate with them.
Love stories:
I have seven love stories. Three girls broke up with me because I refused to take gifts or give gifts. My fourth relationship failed because I told her that I studied only till tenth. Likewise my other three love stories also failed for some petty reasons. But I don’t feel bad about it and my message to the youth is never lose hope when love fails. I get many calls stating that their love failed. Never give up, I tell them.

Better half:
In one of my shows, I came in touch with my soulmate Chandana. She used to address me as ‘annayya’ during the calls, she used to make on the show. I gave her my mom’s number. They started speaking to each other. Not just me, even my mother proposed to her for marriage. She requested her to stop calling me annayya. Today, I am happily married to her. 
Three things that Indians should inculcate?
Live a life of self-contentment like our ancestors.
Let the children enjoy their childhood 
Avoid eating junk food
Favourite 
person: 
Director SS Rajamouli is the man I admire the most. He is humble and modest. I am a die-hard fan of him.
Future: 
Farming.I am going to take up in a few years

Education
I studied in government school right from my first class to tenth. I used to bag the prizes as the best singer in the singing competition. Not that I was a great singer, but like an oasis in a desert, I had no competitors equalling me in singing. My parents are farmers and our life was a wild goose chase. I hail from a poor family. My mother sells vegetables which we grow in our farm. 
Until seventh standard, I was studying well. But when I reached eighth standard, my academic performance deteriorated. Our financial status made me to lose interest in academics.
We were in such a position that even after summing up the cost of our farms, we could only get Rs 7,000, while we needed Rs 40,000 to perform  my sister’s marriage. Hence I decided I would start selling vegetables. I used to buy vegetables worth Rs 40 and sell it for Rs 120 hawking around the village. 
I don’t want to get children carried away by the thought that they can stop till tenth and become a RJ like me. I have many fans who think the same. Luck doesn’t favour all, but hardwork does.