April 23, 2018
If "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn made actor Ali Fazal realise how
"unimportant" the human species is, actress Richa Chadha likes to refer to the
"Autobiography of a Yogi" several times in a year. On the occasion of World Book
Day on April 23, these actors have spoken up on the book that changed their
perspective on life.
World Book Day is a worldwide celebration of books
and reading. So, here are some actors who are celebrating the day by talking
about their favourite books:
* Ali Fazal: "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn. The
book is a conversation between a gorilla and a man. And it has to be read to be
comprehended. It made me realise how unimportant the human species is. It talks
about everything and yet nothing at all. Nothingness and fullness and their co-
existence.
* Pankaj Tripathi: The book that influenced me the most is
"Raag Darbari" by Shrilal Shukla. The side of my personality that is satirical
and humorous grew in leaps and bounds after reading this book. There are so many
other books as well. That is the beauty of a book, every single one of them
teaches you something or the other.
* Richa Chadha: I read "Autobiography
of a Yogi" at a delicate time in my life. My father introduced me to it. I read
a chapter on faith and something shifted in me. It was the first thick
non-fiction book I completed after starting. I ended up gifting lots of copies
to friends. I refer to it many times in a year.
* Arunoday Singh: The
book that changed my perspective on life was introduced to me by my middle
school World Religion and Ethics teacher, John Chote. It was a collection of
poems by Jalaluddin Rumi translated by Coleman Barks. I had always loved reading
since I was a boy, and I had read widely and voraciously. But it wasn't until
that book, that I ever became aware of their ability to heal and comfort all the
formless aches in our soul. It was until that book that I believed words could
weave magic spells too.
* Sumeet Vyas: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell
changed the way I see the world and "What I Talk About When I Talk About
Running" by Haruki Murakami shaped the way I narrate a story.