Dr. G V Krishna Rao (1914-1979) belonged to Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, India. He has written four novels in Telugu, a volume of playlets, a couple of plays, a collection of short stories, and a critical survey of the Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna’s Vigrahavyavartani (The End of Discussions). He has also translated Plato and Kant into Telugu. His writings give us a true reflection of his personality—“curious, humble, rationalistic, humane, and true to life.” His playlet—Bikshapatra (Begging Bowl)—was proclaimed a ‘National Play’ and was translated into sixteen Indian languages and broadcasted through All India Radio. His last play—Bomma yedchindi (The Doll Wept)—portrays “a clash and crash of ideas and ideals” rather than personalities, which “leaves the audience in a subdued mood of sorrow.” Keelubommalu (Puppets), his maiden work, has been acclaimed as one of the outstanding novels in Telugu because of its ‘unity of effect’, achieved in portraying man as a mechanical doll—a doll driven more by “circumstances and animalism.” Hence, the need to change. In yet another novel, Papikondalu (Papi Hills), he advocates that ‘natural truth’ is better than ‘didacticism.’

“Eme! Ninne! Looks like, someone has come into the courtyard. Go and see.”

“Who would come now? It could be Raghavulu with the hay bundle,” says she, while hurriedly breaking cow dung cakes to place them on the fire before the straw in the hearth burns out.

“Ha! You and your intelligence! If it were Raghavulu, why does the milch cow moo so restlessly? Go and see,” shouted the husband, a little harshly.

Commonwealth Literature Journal, Dr. G V Krishna Rao, Chesukunna Karma, Performed Karma.