Television host and actor Chitralekha was game for any co-curricular activity in school. She could sing, had learnt various forms of dance, participated in debates and other competitions. Participation is what mattered to her, regardless of outcome. Little did she know that her multiple talents would contribute to her evolution as a television personality over the years. Having begun hosting events right during her pre-teens, she got so busy with her career that she didn’t miss living the life of an average teenager or college-goer. She has also recently turned an author with the book Vannepoola Vinnapalu, a poetic series where Gopikas try to woo Krishna, discussing themes of bhakti, rakti and more.
Taking time off from her shoot for K Raghavendra Rao’s series Sye Sye Sayyare, she mentions,“Even a few months before I started writing the book, I wondered how tough the process would be. I was discussing the same with an author, my neighbour.” At a time when she was acting in a web series with Tanikella Bharani, the idea of the book germinated. “As we conversed on sets about me writing a book on an episode between Krishna and his 16000 gopikas, he (Tanikella Bharani) encouraged and made me take one step forward,” she recollects.
Chitralekha surprised herself by writing the book, considering she has never been a literature buff. . “Actually, I don’t read many books, I got into the habit recently. Earlier, it was only about school or college books. I started my career as an anchor, right from the school level, my aim was to host corporate events, audio launches, in addition to doing television. In the free time I preferred to learn dance. I was firm on my other priorities then, but it took time to discover the writer in me.”
The impetus to write also comes from her interest in lyrics in most songs that she hears. “I always focus on lyrics, on how a lot can be conveyed in a few words, that impacted me more.” The story in Vannepoola Vinnapalu deals with Krishna’s return to Repalle after long, but only for a night. The gopikas then woo him to stay in their respective houses, but Krishna is confused on taking the next step. Poetry is a bridge he uses to distinguish between the gopikas. The book reaches a conclusion on how Krishna stays at Radha’s house.
“My grandma used to narrate mythological stories when I was a child, but a lot of it came from films. The way I observed my change of perspectives on them too contributed to the interest.” She wrote the book in three months and took suggestions from Yandmoori, Suddala Ashok Teja, Chandrabose, Gollapudi, Ramajogayya Sastry. “The simplicity is its USP, they remarked,” she recalls. “The process wasn’t easy, I still want to learn about bookwriting books and have begun reading a variety of books. I want to be very good in whatever I take up in life — dance, music, acting. I make sure I do justice to whatever work I’m given. I feel my strength lies in my ability to mould myself to various formats.”