An Evening of Wit, Wine, and Wise Recollections >>>>> Five of us in Ponnala Lakshmaiah’ House Yesterday Evening : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 An Evening of Wit, Wine, and Wise Recollections

Five of us in Ponnala Lakshmaiah’ 

House Yesterday Evening

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao (October 23, 2026)

            A pleasant autumn evening unfolded at the Jubilee Hills residence of 83-year-old veteran politician Ponnala Lakshmaiah, seamlessly bridging the gap between old-world statesman-like hospitality and a profound exploration of India's evolving socio-political landscape. The evening brought together a distinct group of intellectual minds, and I had the occasion to join them and collect few learning points, which will reflect here.

They are: Dr Sanjaya Baru, renowned political commentator, author of The Accidental Prime Minister, and former Media Advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; S Venkat Narayan, senior independent journalist, former executive editor of India Today, and biographer of NT Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu; and Dr Parakala Prabhkar, a sharp political economist, author, and deeply insightful analyst.

In the context of today's polarized political ecosystem, these three figures represent a crucial segment of India's intellectual vanguard: public intellectuals who maintain the courage and nuance to question structural injustices, challenge mainstream narratives, and subtly yet forcefully defend democratic institutions. Ponnala Lakshmaiah himself anchored the gathering perfectly.

As a former Information Technology and Communications Minister for erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, a lifelong Congress loyalist, and now a respected voice in the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, his political journey reflects a lifetime of dedicated public service, administrative acumen, and a deep-seated commitment to regional development.

The evening was a masterclass in unparalleled hosting, defined by a ‘Social Drink’ sequence that progressed with a speed and velocity that left the guests delightfully struggling to cope. It began with the crisp popping of a pint of fine Champagne, seamlessly giving way to expensive Royal Salute Scotch specially kept for such a gathering, and ultimately leading to an exquisite, aged Australian wine, interspersed with a relentless, quick succession of perfectly paired appetizers.

They were ranging from prawns, eggs, and non-veg delicacies to classic boiled groundnuts, cashews, fine cheeses, and fresh apple pieces. Eventually, a choicest dinner left the guests entirely nonplussed as to which culinary masterpiece they could possibly bypass, forcing an unawares surrender to every single dish. The entire experience was set against a striking visual backdrop of dramatic ‘Prussian Blue Table Mats’ that lent a royal, highly sophisticated touch to the dining room.

The premium spirits were served in exceptionally heavy, brilliantly cut, authentic Waterford crystal glasses bought directly in Ireland. As the drinks poured, Lakshmaiah shared a deeply moving learning point about his ‘Family Chef’ Manga of over two decades, a woman from a backward, below-poverty-line family in Tamil Nadu. With immense pride, he recounted her incredible grit and concerted determination to educate her daughters.

Ponnala said that, the elder one is now an IT professional married to a software engineer, and the younger one is on the absolute precipice of cracking the Union Civil Services, a testament to the transformative power of dedication. However, the tone for this memorable gathering was set the moment the guests arrived, when a warm surprise awaited them, and before being led to the dining area.

Sanjaya Baru, Venkat Narayan, Parakala Prabhakar, and me were each formally felicitated in traditional Indian style with an elegant shawl presented by Lakshmaiah. Along with the shawl, he gifted them a copy of his Telugu biography, ‘Once Upon a Time, a Lakshmaiah… From a Remote Village towards the Wide World,’ alongside a copy of the International Edition of ‘Most Fabulous,’ which profiles him as one of the world's most fabulous personalities.

Photographs were clicked to freeze the moment, a warm camaraderie that persisted all the way until Lakshmaiah saw them off at their vehicles in traditional, hospitable Telangana style.

The conversation initially flowed into lighter, highly entertaining veins right after the Champagne was poured, as Lakshmaiah narrated the history of his curated, small collection of glasses. This prompted a cheerful recollection of Sanjaya Baru’s sponsored visit to Scotland.

He traveled there to personally witness the distillation of ‘Single Malts and Blended Whiskies,’ which later inspired a memorable ‘Times of India Article’ where he recounted tasting drops of the spirits to discern their intricate differences. The table collectively observed, with a touch of shared humor, that if one studies the industry deeply enough, many variations across the same manufacturing houses ultimately share the same foundational spirit.

The banter then shifted toward political satire, touching upon actor and host ‘Shekhar Suman,’ whose modern digital talk show ‘Shekhar Tonite’ frequently delivers sharp, satirical takes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while maintaining a nostalgic, poetic reverence for former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

This led the guests to reflect on the current nationwide corporate-political alignment, noting how the phenomenon of high-stakes industrial families quietly anchoring or opposing ruling regimes has remained a uniquely Indian reality since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Nostalgia for the golden era of Indian print media was palpable as the group reminisced about the legendary editors and columnists of the old Indian Express and National Press titans like Frank Moraes, Dom Moraes, RK Vepa, Nandan Kagal, Sitanshu Das, and the unparalleled Hindu GK Reddy, drawing stark, passing comparisons to the fast-paced, noisy nature of contemporary journalism. This smoothly transitioned into a deep historical retrospective on PV Narasimha Rao.

Ponnala Lakshmaiah reminisced about his own political upbringing under PV's mentorship, which originally inspired him to return from the United States, settle back into Indian politics, and ascend the ladder as an MLA, Minister, and PCC President. Lakshmaiah recounted being a literal witness to the historic, foundational meeting between PV Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh in 1991, occurring just a couple of days before PV was formally elected as the Congress Parliamentary Party leader to head a minority government.

The table debated the exact mechanics of Manmohan Singh's entry into the cabinet as Finance Minister, corroborating that the post was first offered to IG Patel, who declined, after which PC. Alexander prevailed upon Manmohan Singh to accept. The discussion also circled back to the intense political maneuvering of an ambitious Sharad Pawar, who did his utmost to secure the Prime Ministership at the time, only to eventually throw his support behind PV.

PV however, brilliantly outmaneuvered Pawar later, by sending him back to Maharashtra politics: a move the table viewed as the definitive capping of Pawar's national-level prime ministerial career. Adding to the rich tapestry of 1991 anecdotes, Sanjaya Baru recollected his own experience of meeting PV on the very morning the political situation was fluid, just hours before his elevation as Prime Minister-designate.

Then about trying to meet after PV was PM designate. Emerging from his car and walking on foot due to the immense security and crowds, Baru found himself temporarily blocked at the gates, watching in amusement as a very senior Congress politician actively turned his head away to avoid eye contact and avoid helping a young journalist secure entry. PV's multifaceted genius and linguistic brilliance remained the central anchor of the evening, as every individual present shared a distinct personal touchpoint with the late Prime Minister.

Venkat Narayan, reminded by Parakala, Sanjay, and me recalled his ground-breaking days at India Today in 1983, where his reporting and political predictions accurately captured the thunderous, historic rise of NT Rama Rao's Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, alongside his sharp analyses of Indira Gandhi’s staging a comeback second time, after voted out. To draw a sharp contrast between the past and the present state of democratic tolerance, Baru narrated a famous, powerful anecdote from September 1977.

A young, firebrand JNU Students' Union President, Sitaram Yechury, led a massive student march right to the residence of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Standing just inches away from her, Yechury read out a fierce, highly critical student memorandum demanding her resignation as the Chancellor of the university. Instead of reacting with state power or anger, Indira Gandhi stood in perfect, dignified silence, listening to the stinging critique of her regime: which was captured in an iconic photograph that exemplified how the student leaders of 1974 were truly the original, fearless ‘Gen Z’ long before the term existed.

As the night steadily melted into the early hours of the morning, the conversation inevitably turned toward the baffling contemporary political climate, raising heavy, unanswered questions: What exactly is happening to the fabric of the country? Who is truly supporting whom behind the scenes? Which massive corporate houses are anchoring the government, and which ones are fueling the opposition, and what are their ultimate long-term motives?

Will the systemic anxieties of the current electoral apparatus truly be solved if central figures like Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step aside? It was collectively agreed that some structural questions are best left unanswered to the passage of time. Realizing that hours had flown by in a flash of brilliant, deep, and deeply missed intellectual stimulation, the gathering reluctantly drew to a close.

Sanjaya Baru had departed slightly earlier, offering a profoundly heartwarming reason: his well-educated, 99-year-old mother was waiting up for him at home, proving that no matter how formidable one's stature is in the corridors of national power, a mother's watchful eye remains the ultimate anchor. The remaining friends parted ways, thoroughly nourished by the vintage spirits, the stellar cuisine, and a rare, comforting return to the lost art of meaningful socio-political conversation.