Top choice
Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer — Kane and Abel was an ultimate story during the times of war of two people who are growing at the same time in different environments and how their paths cross. That, as a screenplay, was most engaging. The Fountainhead by Ayan Rand – As an architecture student it was almost like my degree was not complete without reading The Fountainhead!
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach — I have always aspired to be a perfectionist and the best at what I do. This book talks of how sheer tenacity and desire to learn and be perfect makes you one in a million birds. It tells how life should just not be about yourself and your growth but also about the people who are with you.
Asterix and Obelix, and MAD comics — I have also been a big fan of Asterix and Obelix and the impact it created was they meant more than comics because I got a flair for humour from them. The unbelievable wit from Goscinny and Uderzo in the comics made them much more than comics. I am a big fan of MAD comics as well. At different points of my life these books shaped my thought
process.
Fave authors
In recent times Arundhati Roy’s book The God of Small Things has reinforced my thought in believing that God is in the small details. One of the best things about Arundhati is that she never fails to transport you into a time period with her details.
Break from routine
Yes, I do have a busy schedule and I do not manage to read as often as I would want to, but I must admit that reading takes me completely away from what I do on a regular basis.
Holiday feeling
In my profession, I read every day; it’s an occupational demand. I read scripts, whether it’s advertisements or for feature films. That does take away a lot of my time and, hence, I don’t end up reading as many books as I would like to. Yet, once in a while, I do manage and it’s like taking a holiday for me.
Childhood indulgences
As a child, when I was in school I would read Asterix and Obelix, but it was only in college that I got hooked on to reading novels.
Paper passion
I always prefer to read a physical copy of the book, because I feel reading from an e-book is like going on a holiday by watching the pictures of the destination on your computer. For me, the touch, feel and the smell of the paper is as much a part of the reading experience as what is written inside.
Reading list
I am working on a docu-fiction on cricket and cultural India. My shelf is full of books related to this subject such as Rajdeep Sardesai’s Democracy XI. The other book is Eleven Gods and A Billion Indians by Boriya Majumdar and Saurav Ganguly’s A Century Is Not Enough. The autobiography of Lee Iacocca is another interesting book still sitting on my book shelf waiting to be read.
