14th October 2003
Germany

I have never felt so elated and excited. I have never been thrilled about something so much that I couldn't sleep the previous night. I have neither won the Mr. Universe pageant nor have I won a gold medal for the country. I am on the top of the world for the simple reason that I could witness the Megastar Chiranjeevi's hype-packed "Tagore" on the silver screen at Stuttgart, Germany on 12th Oct at 10:30 AM.

Before I proceed, I must admit that I am a great fan of Chiranjeevi, known to classes and masses alike as "Chiru". Staying in a small city near Paris, which is totally cut-off from any access to Telugu movies, the only source of up to date Telugu movie news is the Internet. Thanks to Idlebrain for providing us with vast information at such a brisk pace that I have never felt I have missed out on something.

All that I could do after the grand release of the movie was browse the Internet, read the reviews and feel the experience of the masses. I could only imagine the heroics of Chiru. My expectations were sky high after talking to my friends and relatives in India.

When I first heard that Tagore is to be screened in Germany and Paris, my feet were hardly on the floor. I didn't think I could witness such an event in Paris even in my wildest dreams. The desperation finally gave way to jubilation.

Later, though I was disappointed to hear that Tagore could not be screened in Paris, it was a respite to know that the plan to screen it in Germany was still intact. I then decided to drive all the way to Germany and 4 other friends were ready to accompany me, whom I thank a lot for showing the same enthusiasm.

Starting at 2 AM in the night, we drove for 700 Kms before the first rays of sun hit the sky. After a few minor hiccups in finding the theatre, we made our way to the hall by 10 AM. I felt neither hungry nor sleepy looking at the crowd outside the theatre. Though I had enough time to fill my stomach, I chose to wait outside the hall and feel the electrifying environment.

My feeling was complemented by this interesting conversation between two friends. One of them waiting for the other saw him coming and asked, "How can you be late to Chiru's movie?" His friend's reply was that he lacks time sense, which made him late for the movie. The former replied back saying "How can you claim to be an ardent Chiru fan if you miss that kick in waiting outside a theatre?" Very true, isn't it?

By 10:30, every body got into the theatre jostling each other and getting ready for the show. What happened for the next 3 full hrs was a complete feast for the crowd.

Chiru's entrance was greeted by roaring applause and whistles. I joined the proceedings too and shared the fun with the rest of the fans. Interval came but director made a point that there is a lot to come in the next half. When the movie slowly drew to an end and made my way out of the theatre, I felt that I have lived a dream. Our Megastar has lived up to my expectations.

This man has his own brand of acting, charm and class. He carried the film squarely on his shoulders. What captivates the audience the most is his undiminishing youthfulness and energy. His dance heightened the exciting tunes of Mani Sharma. Crowd went gaga over his charismatic steps. Fight scenes are breath taking and well merged with the visuals. The audience received his one-liners and comedy in the flashback with applauses of joy and jubilation. He yet again proved why he commands mammoth fan following from every nook and corner of Andhra.

I am not narrating the story here but there is one part of the movie that I would like to highlight - comedy scenes in the flashback where Chiru entertained us as a bridegroom. He looked very glamorous which overshadowed his age and the way he acted reminded me of old Chiru movies. It's a challenge for any actor to emote in a way concealing their age, which Chiru won it with ease.

It was really an amazing experience to see so many Telugu people at one place and to watch Tagore amidst such electrifying crowd. It looked as if we were in one of the theatres in our own A.P. I felt the native-ness on foreign land to the humming's of Telugu crowd.

Here comes a fact, knowing which you might think that I can only be crazy. The fact is that I am going to India in November, yet I have decided to make all the way to Germany. If you ask me why, I have no answer. But the only explanation I can think of is the kick of watching it when you get a chance, which can only be appreciated by a Chiru fan. Listening to all this, this is the exact statement made by my mom - "U guys r crazy!" Yes, we are. I am one among the millions of crazy Chiru fans!

Now, when I sit back and retrospect yesterday's events, things look a bit weird to me. Weird because me being from France, drove for 15 odd hrs in a day without any sleep on the previous night and spent 3 hrs in the theatre of Germany to watch a Telugu movie. But, being an ardent Chiru fan, I have no qualms in experiencing such an odd, unusual and uneasy sensation. All kudos to Chiru! The movie is worth the pains we took.

My only wish would be to expect our Megastar to deliver many such performances in the future.

By
Shravan Kumar Chargonda