Ravi Mantri’s bestseller revitalises Telugu fiction

Ravi Mantri’s bestseller ‘Amma Diarylo Konni Pageelu’ revitalises Telugu fiction

At a time when reading habits are fading faster than Instagram trends, Ravi Mantri dared to step into the world of writing — in Telugu, no less! He did not just test the waters; he made a splash. His debut novel, Amma Diarylo Konni Pageelu (A few pages in Amma’s diary; by Aju Publications; ₹220), is flying off the shelves, closing in on ‘two lakh copies sold’. While his viral videos in East Godavari slang made him a social media sensation, his book proves he has got more than just a knack for humour — he has got a bestseller to his name.

The Kakinada-born, Dublin-based techie turned his homesickness into a storytelling superpower. Amid Dublin’s literary charm, he found himself reminiscing about festival chaos, boisterous Indian family gatherings, and the little moments back home. So, instead of scrolling through old WhatsApp photos, he started writing it all down.

“I wrote a piece on Sankranti and casually shared it on social media — next thing I knew, family and friends were circulating it with enthusiasm and that nudged me to write more, so I dabbled in fictional romance. When that too caught on, I thought, why not go all in? That’s how Amma Diarylo Konni Pageelu was born,” says Ravi, taking a break from his techie life in Dublin to soak in Hyderabad’s literary and literal warmth.

Amma Diarylo... is far from a deep dive into a mother’s existential crisis lost in a sea of household chores. Set in the 1980s, the book unfolds as a refreshing love story of two engineering students who drift apart to settle into their own marriages, only to cross paths again years later. “I set the story in the ’80s because, honestly, I think that was the last era of pure love. Not that I doubt love exists today, but back then — especially in the ’80s and ’90s — our parents’ love stories had a simplicity and charm that is hard to find in this age.”

The most striking moment in the novel unfolds when Abhiram, the male lead, tells Sarika why they should part ways — urging her to marry the man her family chose for her. It is not your typical breakup scene; it is one of the most convincingly justified reasons for letting go ever written.

 Ravi explains, “What Sarika’s mother tells him is logical and to the point. What breaks Ram (Abhiram) is her statement: ‘She might be happy with you, but she will be more comfortable without you’. And that’s the worst thing any lover can hear.”

The book’s journey from modest expectations to massive success was driven by organic word-of-mouth, viral social media trends, and strategic publishing efforts. Initially, Ravi expected to sell just 200 copies, but Aju Publications, led by Mallikarjun and Swetha Erram, encouraged a higher print run. Early sales were slow, but a viral Instagram meme featuring a Telugu movie clip sparked widespread interest, leading to a surge in demand.