“I was that child who always had a book in her hand. Today they say, ‘No phones at the dinner table’, my father used to tell me, ‘No books at the dinner table’,” says Soha Ali Khan, who, just like her other family members, brother Saif Ali Khan and mother Sharmila Tagore, is an avid reader. “You must make time for reading, else you become more of a book collector than a reader. I believe books really don’t want to be collected; they want to be read,” she tells us. On National Reading Day today, the actress talks to us about her love for books and her relationship with them.

Soha looks back at the time she spent in libraries. “I am a member of a public library in Delhi. I find libraries fascinating. When you spend time in a library, you feel like reading something. Being there encourages you to pick up a book,” says the actress, who feels compelled to read a book every time she is in her daughter Inaaya’s school’s library.

The vibe there takes her back to her college days. “I was lucky enough to study at Oxford University, which has one of the best libraries in the world called the Bodleian Library,” she shares.

In this digital age, Soha had a challenging time getting daughter Inaaya interested in reading. She says, “I enjoyed reading and back then, there wasn’t much competition from movies, TV or the internet. I saw mom and dad reading, and it got me interested. When it comes to Inaaya, I tell her that only when you finish reading this chapter you can eat the chocolate cake and watch TV. I know it’s not good to bribe your children, but I find it very effective (laughs). I also follow positive reinforcement of leaving books lying around her, something they do in her school too, so that kids pick up the books and read them.”

Talking about the habit of reading, “One needs to prioritize reading because it encourages focus and discipline. Just sitting with a book relaxes your mind. Since I am a reader, I don’t get bored easily. I enjoy being alone. Also, I don’t need music as a distraction and flights are not boring for me as I read. What you read shapes you as an individual. It improves your imagination, vocabulary and writing style.”

While Soha is not a part of any book club, she is fascinated by the idea. “Currently, I am not a part of any of these clubs, but I think it’s a great, inexpensive social diversion at a time when people are looking for digitally free habits and hobbies.” She does follow some celeb book recommendations. 

“There are many celebrity book clubs. I follow Ellen DeGeneres’ book recommendations, even Oprah Winfrey’s summer pick. I read those, and now it is interesting to see how many reader-actors have online and offline book clubs. Reese Witherspoon and Dua Lipa have popular book clubs.”