An exuberant personality who is so affable that she brought out the best from the contestants of Star Plus' Chalti Ka Naam Antakshari. Shruti Ulfat later went on to do lead roles in shows like I Love You (Sony) and has also featured in movies like Dil To Paagal Hain and Raaz. A super mommy in real life, Shruti places integrity before popularity.
What very few people know is that this versatile actor also has an intellectual side to her. This pretty lady loves to enrich herself with knowledge and is a proud owner of a huge collection of books from various genres and writers.
Sameera Kapoor explore this aspect of Shruti in a free wheeling chat.
Books I'm currently reading
Right now I am reading Autobiography of Indira Gandhi. But I am finding it to be a bit boring because it's high on political lingo. But I am determined to complete it. Also, I am reading To the Actors by Michael Chekhov, which is a talked about book in the theatre circle. He is one hellavu actor who is an institution in himself. He can make spectators laugh and cry, wonder and suffer along with him. In fact, world famous stars consider it an honor to call him their teacher.
My reading patters
I can't call myself a voracious reader. It's more to do with gaining knowledge, also there is a fun aspect involved. Only if I find some book interesting, will I get hooked on to it. I prefer to read at night, when I am alone and it's calm. Reading in between shoots is not my cup of tea.
Most impactful book
A book that's etched in my mind is It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong. It's personal story of his life so far, from childhood to his early success, his tryst with a nearly fatal cancer, his determination to live followed by his road to recovery. I too believe in the philosophy that if you have the will and determination then you can certainly cross any hurdle in life.
My personal library
My house boasts of a huge collection of books, ranging from theatre, Hindi literature, novels by famous writers and dramatists.
My dislike for popular fiction
I do not like to read literature that comes under this genre, like Sidney Sheldon, Daniel Steele etc. The only one time I read a novel penned by Sidney was during my college years. But that doesn't mean that I prefer only canonized books, in fact I am great fan of Tintin comics.
Films inspired from classic books
The only adapted film from a novel that I have watched is the Memoirs of Geisha. Though, I'm a huge movie buff, I find a restrictive scope of imagination in films. The narrative is elaborate in a novel, the writer has the liberty to experiment with the tiniest details. While a film is time bound, so the director cannot capture the entire essence of the book.
Theatrical adaptation is better
I am not being partial as I am into plays. The reason why I think so is because the stage gives the opportunity to enact the intricacies in depth. The dramatization is more realistic. The power of holding the moment is strong on stage compared to films. What you see is what you get, there is no retakes, no technicalities involved. One doesn't feel out of touch with reality when watching a theatrical version of a novel, for you do not use special effects to enhance the performance. It's sheer human emotions that bring the characters live on the stage.