28 March,2015 07:29 AM IST | | Sanat Mehra
We take a look at certain actors who we think should read these books as it matches with their personality or fits in the current scheme of things in their lives
Kangana Ranaut, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone
While most geniuses have guided the world with their thoughts, there are many who have been misguided by them. Take for example, Einstein's warning to the US about Hitler's experimentation with a "big bomb" which led to the invention of nuclear weapons. We take a look at certain actors who we think should read these books as it matches with their personality or fits in the current scheme of things in their lives.
Actress: Kangana Ranaut
Book: A Practical Course in Effective English Speaking Skills
Author: JK Gangal
Why: We hope this course in practical English speaking has already found a shelf in the actress' bedroom, but if it hasn't, we will take credit for the polished English that you are about to hear. While listening to any language becomes more enjoyable when spoken properly, it becomes irksome to lend an ear to someone who seems to be trying too hard. It is quite evident that Kangna Ranaut has worked very hard on improving her English language skills, but a final brushing would certainly send us gushing.
Actor: Aamir Khan
Book: When I was 25: The Leaders Look Back
Author: Shaili Chopra
Why: Earlier this month, Aamir Khan celebrated his 50th birthday with friends at his bungalow in Lonavala. It would have taken a very daring friend with a quirky sense of humour to gift the actor this book. In this book, Shaili Chopra has made it possible for us to get an insight into what today's eminent personalities were thinking when they were 25. Considering that our stars, at times, are forced to play roles half their age - 3 Idiots would be the apt example when recalling Aamir's attempt at the same - this book would make a good preparatory tool for Mr Perfectionist.
Actress: Bipasha Basu
Book: A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings
Author: Ruskin Bond
Why: Thanks to a culture which firmly believes in spirits and our forefathers' spiritual bent of mind, we have access to many ghost stories that have been published over the years. One such dedicated archivist, who adds his own imagination to this favoured genre of writing is Ruskin Bond. With the film industry's added inputs, this genre is left incomplete without a seductress. Who better than Bipasha Basu, the famed seductress of the horror film genre, to own this gem of literature?
Actress: Sonakshi Sinha
Book: Revenge of a Girl with the Great Personality
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Why: While she's a 'modern woman' for her industry co-stars, Sonakshi Sinha is stuck in an image, which is described as regressive by some, and massy by others. The girl has worked on her looks, but society doesn't seem to be kind to her. Like the main protagonist in the book, Lexi, Sonakshi too seems to be in the need to take some risky decisions to find her true self.
Actress: Deepika Padukone
Author: Leora Tanenbaum
Why: Dippy's journey to the top has not been entirely free of barbs and bile from some of her female colleagues. Though she has conducted herself with poise while fielding questions relating to work, relationships and her equation with her ex-boyfriend and his present girlfriend, it can all be quite stressful. Tanenbaum's novel dissects destructive competitiveness in a scenario where women see each other as adversaries. We know Deepika's a secure gal, but a bit of psychological insight might be of some help.
Director: Sajid Khan
Book: Creativity, Inc.
Author: Ed Catmull
Why: Ed Catmull works for Pixar that has given us creative animated stories in return for good money. So how do they manage to run a profitable business without compromising on the creative pursuits of their animators? What Catmull suggests - making the central point of his narrative - is the need to instill a creative culture among one's workforce. Not that the nominee of this book is an animation filmmaker, but Sajid Khan could certainly do with tips on how to pull up his socks after his recent debacles.
Actor: Ranbir Kapoor
Book: Chicken Soup: Say Goodbye to Stress
Author: Dr Jeff Brown and Liz Neporent
Why: From playing the guy next door to a rebel, Ranbir Kapoor was convinced into playing a deaf-mute in Barfi! (2012) and a criminal in his latest outing, Roy. While the reel time shift has allowed Ranbir to experiment with darker characters, the real time shift is quite the contrary. However, when daring journalists decide to satiate their curiosity about his relationship with Katrina Kaif by hurling questions or going click-click-click, there is a high chance that his reel time persona overlaps into real time. It is for times like these that the actor can really make do with a little Chicken Soup.
Actor: Arjun Kapoor
Book: Robert Downey Jr: The Fall and Rise of the Comeback Kid
Author: Ben Falk
Why: Born into a film family, Robert Downey Jr had to slay a number of his inner demons before he rose to become Iron Man. Arjun too comes from a film background, and would relate to the pressures that come from living under scrutiny. For starters, he overcame his obesity issue to win a place among the rising stars. Besides, Downey Jr too took a critical battering for his work in The Shaggy Dog, which can be paralleled to Arjun's flop, Tevar.
