On Biographer’s Day, celebs talk about their favourite book

Mona

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet,” says author Jhumpa Lahiri. Considering the current scenario, books seem the best bet. May 16 is celebrated in many parts of the world as Biographer’s Day – the day James Boswell met Samuel Johnson in London, England, way back on May 16, 1763, leading up to the creation of The Life of Samuel Johnson — hailed as the first modern biography. Celebs share their take on biographies…

Learn to soar

Actor Sonal Vengurlekar loves reading and her favourite read is APJ Abdul Kalam’s Wings of Fire. “There was no one like APJ Kalam sir. His personality was stunning and his in-depth knowledge was amazing. I am a huge fan of all that he did for our country.”

Favourite part

There are so many lines that are impactful. But I would go with his famous saying, ‘One best book is equal to hundred good friends, one good friend is equal to a library’.

Current read

I love history, so right now I am reading Vivekananda.

Life & art

Lust for Life by Irving Stone, about the life of the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, has stayed with actor Mita Vashisht ever since she read it. “I was 16 when I first read Lust for Life. It’s a tremendous book that shows how life and art are not separate, but art comes from the life you lead.”

Favourite part

It’s a moving story of an artist who lived a life of honesty and commitment, and how his life journey became his art.

Current read

I am currently enjoying Diana L. Eck’s Banaras: City of Light .

Global domination

Not much of a reader, YouTube star and content creator Shivam Trivedi loves Unfinished. “I generally do not read much as I am more of a documentary person, but I genuinely loved reading Unfinished by Priyanka Chopra. Although her life has been very public, this book helped connect a lot of dots. I love how she has always said that her goal is “global domination’. In this book, she has stepped further in that direction.”

Favourite part

In Chapter four, Priyanka talks about the phase of her life where she wanted to study aeronautical engineering, which is so relatable because I am an engineer too and always had a goal of being an IT expert. But later I found my calling in YouTube, as PeeCee stepped into acting.

Current read

Staying Strong by Demi Lovato; it is filled with hope.

Reach for the stars

Director Manoj Aggarwal picks Charlie Chaplin’s My Autobiography as his favourite. “It is so truthful and inspiring, very much like his films.”

Favourite part

“Let us strive for the impossible. The great achievements throughout history have been the conquest of what seemed the impossible,” are my favourite lines from the book.

Current read

The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant; it’s fun to be in the company of Socrates, Plato and Nietzsche.

Staying strong

Kashish Kumar picks Wings Of Fire, autobiography of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, as his favourite. “One of the things that stands out throughout the book is Kalam’s positive thinking and his ability to ignore negativity.”

Favourite part

I am quite fond of the line, “You were born with wings. Don’t crawl. Learn to use them to fly and fly.”

Current read

Life’s Amazing Secrets by Gaur Gopal Das. It shows how to live happily.

mona@tribunemail.com