|
JUNGLE
TALES
Rajkumar on Life in captivity
 |
| Rajkumar
bends to kiss his "Kannada motherland" at Bangalore |
"There
we were in the middle of the forest missing our families, and I would
think to myself: 'How am I going to get through today?' Every night brought
with it horrors of being away from the people I love.
*
We discovered
all of a sudden that Nagappa had slipped away, leaving the three of us
to Veerappan's mercy. I thought we would all be shot.
*
I told Veerappan,
'Anyway, I am old and I have seen life, so if you want you can shoot me
but release Nagesh and Govindraj.'
*
Gopal came
several times to the forest yet nothing came out of it. But the moment
Nedumaran stepped in, there was a visible difference. In fact it was Veerappan
who suggested the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments appoint Nedumaran
as emissary.
*
Bhanu arrived
to check my health and also to attempt a little playacting to convince
Veerappan that I was not keeping well. I went along, acted tired and sick
and told Bhanu, when Veerappan was within earshot, that my heart was giving
me trouble.
*
It was so
isolating that when we were finally released I couldn't believe I was
hearing the sounds of cars and buses. Even now it feels like I have descended
into an alien land."
|
The
Indian industry has increased its decibel level of whining. Instead, it
should get the government to deliver, says INDIA TODAY Associate Editor
V. Shankar Aiyar in 
