The Covid-19 pandemic has been like a churning out of which both poison and nectar have emerged. It has also taught many that one basically needs three things- getting back to parents/family, essential commodities like food and clothes, and a WiFi connection to stay in touch with the world. Noted actor Anupam Kher said this after releasing his book ‘Your Best Day is Today!’ at the Natraj Bookshop here on Tuesday. He said that this was the first occasion when he was physically releasing his third book anywhere and had chosen the oldest bookshop in Dehradun for this purpose.
Speaking about the book he said, “I learnt about the pandemic when I flew back from New York to Mumbai on March 20 and saw the fear of an invisible disease in the people. In my 36 years as an actor I have never taken a holiday from work but the Covid pandemic and the quarantine I had to be in after returning changed the scenario. I am basically an optimistic person and see a ray of hope in even the worst situations. A few days into my quarantine in Mumbai, I heard birds chirping and on hearing a koel I whistled back in reply. The birds chirping and a clear blue sky were something seldom experienced in Mumbai.”
Kher further opined that with their arrogant ways, humans had spread mayhem in the world. “However, during the pandemic even death became a figure sans feelings. In my experience it removed the fear of death. The Covid pandemic was like a churning from which both poison and nectar (Amrit) emerged. This is what my books is about- my experiences, lessons and positive takeaways . While thinking about the title for the book, we were not finding a satisfactory one when I remembered what my mother used to tell me and my brother while dropping us at school. Everyday she used to tell us in Kashmiri- your best day is today.”
Complimenting Upendra Arora of Natraj Bookshop, he said that it is a big achievement to keep a bookshop functioning these days.
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 | PNS | Dehradun
