Andhrapradesh: Jahangeer, a literary wizard from Prakasam

Kandukur: It takes a lot of introspection to pen a few words, be it a poem, story or novel and to produce a short film or documentary and spend hours of time to bring the fine product as the outcome. The works of Jahangeer portrays the hard work and emotional balance he went through to bring his books and documentaries to the public and win prestigious awards including the one from UNSECO.

Shaikh Jahangeer is born into the middle class family of APSRTC driver Shaikh Nazeer Basha and brought up in Kandukur. Being an anxious man, he observed the incidents in his surroundings and made them subjects for poetry, stories, and short films. His book 'Amma Cheppina Kathalu' is a record of what every mother does for her children every day and how she utilises every moment to inspire her little kids.

He wrote 'I am innocent' in the backdrop of the blasts in Hyderabad and how an innocent man becomes a victim of them. The story 'Mehendi', which revolves around the life and fate of the poor girl children who are offered as brides to the aged wealthy men from other countries, won acclaimed criticism.

He discussed the conditions that are forcing the parents to sell their girl children and the ordeals the poor children face in the name of marriage in the story and established the facts behind the veils and curtains of their life. His poetry book, Bhumika is almost a manifesto of women who demand equal opportunities and share along with men and is ready to take up any responsibility and outperform them. Those poems are the voices of women from various sections of the society, who are actually the pillars of their families but denied the minimum respect.

The 'Maa Bhumi' story by Jahangeer is the story of thousands of farmers, who were forcibly evicted from their lands, the emptiness after they lose the right on their soil that fed them for generations, the stigma that they go through the remaining life for splitting the families and distancing their beloved for money.

Jahangeer is an expert in the documentation of history also. The documentary 'Telugu Ramaneeyam' is exhibited in the Telugu Mahasabhalu at Tirupati organised after 37 years in 2012. The Malaysia Telugu Sangham took the rights and distributed the DVDs for free in the programme.

The play penned by him, 'Thought' is the reflection of the corporate education system and how the students are struggling to satisfy their parents and college managements in the form of results and tanks, but are ending with suicides. The play, Jai Jawan encourages the teachers to inculcate patriotism in the children from the very young age so that there won't be a terrorist in future, won the award from the State Child Rights Forum in 2004 and the play, Badi, which discusses the importance of teaching in mother tongue won best play award from Potti Sriramulu Telugu University.

The short film on the evils of child marriages, 'Lakshyam' brought him prestigious UNESCO award and the then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy presented it. The short film also won several awards in categories like the best writer, the best producer and the best director at various competitions and film festivals abroad along with accolades from Sekhar Kammula, Gorati Venkanna, and other Tollywood bigwigs.

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His songs on Swachh Bharat encouraging the cleanliness and hygiene are also recognised by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and brought him special recognition award through the hands of the then chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. The 'Leader' audio songs album used in the campaign for YSRCP is penned by Jahangeer and they are the top songs the party cadre are using in party meetings.

Jahangeer says that he tries to analyse the situations and find out the reasons behind them. The moment an idea flashes in his mind, he says, he pens it down immediately no matter where he is and at what time it is. He said that his latest book Prasthanam is also receiving great feedback from the literary circles and thanked them for their kind words.