Prakash Rai's first book out, says he's exploring unknown

Actor Prakash Rai, who has of late taken on  the prime minister and the BJP, launched  his first book 'Iruvudellava Bittu' on Sunday. He said he had set  off on a journey that is "nothing but a process of getting naked".  

"I have set off on a journey to discover and learn something which remains unknown. In a way, the journey is a process of getting naked. It's not  the process of learning, but  the process of forgetting whatever I've learned, that makes me happy," he said at the book launch organised by  Sawanna Prakashana.

He continued:  "Many people entered my life and I moved ahead with their help and support. Life looked most beautiful because of them. Some people always accompanied me, stood by me. The book records my conversations with such people."

Actor Sudeep compared Rai's book to a film teaser. "The book is just a teaser of Rai's life and character," he said. "It's possible to understand Rai as a character and  come  in close contact with him. Rai's acting and conversations triggered curiosity  in me."

Poet H S Venkatesha Murthy welcomed Rai to the world of Kannada literature: "In the tinsel world, actors deliver dialogues written by someone else. They can't speak whatever hits their mind. They lend voice to somebody else's dialogues. Few actors, however, speak out. Rai is one of them."  

Kannada lyricist Jayanth Kaikini said: "Rai is a good writer. He paved  the way for us to write as he wasn't actively writing. Literature should take its birth out of life. Rai should write his autobiography."

Kannada writer Vijayamma said:  "It's not the environment, but conversations that are most polluted today. Rai is in the process of cleaning the pollution-hit conversations. A section of society is opposed to his ideas. I strongly feel society is not yet mature enough to receive and understand Rai and his ideas."