THE ROARING VOICE OF THE OPPRESSED CHAITHANYA PINGALI

Working as a Journalist, a writer, and a lyricist, Chaithanya Pingali has come a long way in her journey. Her Telugu book Chittagong Viplava Vanithalu won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award. She tells Storizen about her challenges & how she overcame them!

- Pria & Swapna Peri

Journalist, writer, and now a lyricist. Can you take us along on your journey, briefly? The plan mentions happy incidents and tough situations.

I don’t see being a journalist, writer, or lyricist as three different kinds of jobs/careers or whatever. I write, be it news, features, short stories, songs, film screenplay, or even Facebook posts. I write. The only difference is - some kinds of work help me earn money, while other kinds don’t. Of course, when I write as a part of my job I must adhere to the company/employer’s rules, and opinions.

I am a science graduate. Initially, I had a dilemma about whether to choose writing as my career or not. Many suggested I not choose this field as there is no guarantee for monthly income. Moreover, at that phase, I had to earn for myself. I dared and joined a regional magazine later as a sub-editor, then as a fictional writer. Choosing writing as a career itself is a roller coaster ride. The tough situation I ever faced was the phase when I could not work. I was pregnant and needed to stay at home. It was a tough phase financially too. But I could utilize the time to research and write about Chittagong Viplava Vanithalu.

Your book 'Chittagong Viplava Vanithalu' won the prestigious Yuva Puraskar - Sahitya Akademi award. Can you brief us on the book and how important the subject is?