Plaster of paris city

[Visit to Ramoji Film City; 05 Dec 2004; Kondapur - Chutneys - Sec'bad - Tarnaka - Habsiguda - LB Nagar - Ramoji]
As usual I thought that I will keep myself busy during the weekend, working on a dangling project. Foundations were well laid on Friday night. And half of Saturday too. But I happened to come across this site: http://ipc.iisc.ernet.in/~abhijit/index.html. Dreams come back to memory! And when Sharma asked me on Saturday evening, if I would like to join him for the next day's trip to Ramoji Film City, I found myself answering in the affirmative. So spent Sat night at Sharma's and set off on Sunday morning 8.45. Naresh, JP and Bala along with Naresh's father took the cab while I was Sharma's pillion-rider. Time to test the new TVS Centra!

After a hearty breakfast at Chutney's, the journey began. The cab driver gave me instructions about the route; I am comfortable upto Tarnaka, and thought that we can find out the rest - Habsiguda - LB Nagar - Ramoji.

Well, AP Tourism deserves much applause as there are signboards all the way preventing you from losing track inside the dense city traffic. Once we escaped Tarnaka, there was not much bumpy ride. Even before, the Sunday mornings are not known to atleast 50% Hyderabadis and so there was no traffic concern.

42kmph! and that is all we liked to go. The mode never changed from "economy" to "power". The road was inviting, broad and lined. There was median all the way. I wonder how Sharma was not giving in to the temptations. I would have stayed around 100kmph, even if it is a new bike and your salesmen has warned u a thousand times not to cross 50!

No incidents! We took the right route at every junction and the Sec'bad-Ramoji 29km stretch took nearly 65 minutes. The cab has gotten punctured en route and the driver managed to fit it with a stepney and still reached well before us. Naresh was exclaiming that he crossed the 3 figure mark more than once.

Ramoji revealed the truth behind the giant sets and houses that we would have exclaimed in every alternate movie. And the greatest luck was in getting the right guide. We got a one who was extremely jovial and could handle the narration so well and so professionally as the bus that carried us thro various gardens and buildings of Ramoji, kept moving.

There was a highway dhaba and 5 central jails. Naresh father was concerned about none of them resembling the Vellore jail! There was a golden temple and God-less temple. The guide explained "bhagwan ne producer ke saath aatha our shooting ke baath producer ke saath jaatha".

Then there was a big square building - school on one side, college on the other side, church on the third and the fourth was configurable, I think. Similarly the back side of the airport was the JJ Hospital. The basement of the airport happened to be the bus stand. "Our hero ka flight miss hone ke baath, woh bus se ghar ko vaapas aatha -- oopar me airport, neeche bus-stand".

There was also a street simulating a London atmosphere - a couple of square buildings and a neat road is what is called London.

Then there were these huge structures of steel, which resemble the framework of a building, which the guide explained, "could be made into anything on demand". It looked like the place, where most of the climax fights use to take place.

The gardens were well maintained and kept photographers and cameras busy. They call it as Hawa mahal and we dint miss the huge statues of topless ladies. Naresh was interested in one particular statue under which he took a photograph and his father joined us in wondering the after-effects of that photo being given out for his bride search.

When we entered the animal garden, where bushes were shaped like animals, we were reminded about our college...cool...it was only the smell - the smell of recycled water! It was being sprayed all over, and amidst photos, we were running all around to escape from it! Still we lost at some places!

We came across a dance floor with a gallery around - and u know what to expect! We wanted a photo, where all of us were in the air - jumping - after many trial and errors, it came out! Thanks to Naresh's father, who shot the photo.

Naresh's father deserves a special mention here, as without him, our time at Ramoji wouldn't have been as good. He joined us in every joke and we were bursting when he cracked one. It is because of his instruction we got a timely lunch as the only veg hotel inside the film city got immovably crowded half-an-hour after we started our lunch. Experience!

I had a ping-pong ball which will have unpredictable behaviour every time it hits the ground. This ball kept us busy for sometime till I hit one lady with it! No casualities, thank Gods.

After lunch, JP and Bala went for a Thriller-Jet ride, while me, Naresh and Sharma were taking photographs. People! dont mistake me for lacking courage to take the ride, it is only the time - immediately after lunch - why take risk?

There was a dance show and we were there at the right time! We were really tired after a day long roaming. The last item on the agenda was the visit to the cave and the sun fountain.

The cave had nothing special about it, except for a holographic projection shown at the end of the tunnel - I got reminded of the "Mummy" when the seem-to-be sculpture broke from its hind pedestal and started dancing. As I understood that it was a holograph, I remembered Aish's dance in "Jeans".

Done! Back to the entrance! Stopped midway at Sanghi Venkateshwara Temple, and after a day long experince with plaster of paris, it was refreshing to be with his Almighty, singing his songs!

The return trip again posed no problems. Bought dinner at a wayside Vihar for all and dispersed from Sharma's after dinner.

The bike trip was wonderful and I happened to like the time spent at Ramoji's too.

As Anto pointed out, being with friends more than the place, is what makes moments great! Hope we will celebrate more of life in near future, with Christmas and New year coming.