Mad respect for authors: Sonali Bendre

Sonali Bendre, who recently released her second book ‘A Book of Books’, said she has ‘mad respect’ for authors and wouldn’t call herself one until she writes at least 20 of them.

Bendre, best known for films such as ‘Diljale’, ‘Major Saab’, ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘Zakhm’ and ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’, said being a public figure gives her the ‘privilege’ to write and engage in meaningful conversations. However, she still primarily views herself as an actor.

“I’ll call myself an author only if I write 20 books, not before that. I have some mad respect for authors - what they do, the way they write, the way an author can transport you somewhere, the way they make you think; only an author can do that. So, I have really not thought of myself as an author in that sense. I have always looked at myself more like an actor, but it is a creative field. I am a creative person and there are various ways through which you express your creativity,” Bendre told PTI in an interview.

Sonali’s passion for books led her to launch ‘Sonali’s Book Club’, a digital community that celebrates literature and meaningful conversations. She made her debut as an author in 2015 with ‘The Modern Gurukul: My Experiment with Parenting’.

Her latest endeavour, ‘A Book of Books’, is intended for everyone - both avid readers and those less inclined - and delves into the importance of reading, especially the value of starting young.

Replete with colourful illustrations by Rohina Thapar, it also suggests what to read, with recommendations for children, young adults and adults, across genres and for varied reading interests.

Bitten by the reading bug since childhood, the 50-year-old actress admitted she would choose books over movies any day. She also feels that book-to-screen adaptations often fail to capture the true essence of the originals.