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WORDS TO EXAMINE HER SOUL BY
Sunday Star, StarMag, Oct 23, 2005
INSTEAD of reading storybooks and novels as a child, she only read her school text books and revision workbooks – which isn’t surprising considering Kavita Kaur is the daughter of doctors.
“My mum says that was how they were brought up as well,” explains the model turned actress and producer. Being interested in the medical profession from an early age, they knew they had to study hard all the time, and their parents encouraged them to study instead of read storybooks, she adds.
“For them, reading a storybook was like playing; it was leisure. If I picked up a storybook as a kid, I would have felt guilty,” says Kavita.
The only work of fiction she remembers reading back then was Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; even that was only because it was part of one of her class lessons.
Since parlaying her moment in the spotlight – Kavita became the first Malaysian to win an international-level beauty title when she was crowned Miss Charm International in 1990 – into a busy career in front of and behind the cameras today, Kavita has turned into a regular bookworm and reads all the time – almost as if making up for lost time! She is also very much influenced by her housemate who reads all the time as well, she says.
Kavita is very much into books that touch on spirituality and soul searching. It is no surprise then that she lists Paulo Coelho and Deepak Chopra as among her favourite authors. “I love Paulo Coelho. I love everything he writes. I love the spiritual aspect of his books. I’ve always been drawn to books like that – very spiritual with something more that challenges you.
“My favourite of his books is The Alchemist. It’s a classic. Eleven Minutes is interesting. I think he’s an incredible writer. His books typically tell the story of someone going in search of something and pushing him or herself to the limit.”
Kavita believes that we all get so caught up in living our lives that we lose something – the spiritual side, which is not harnessed. She believes that we can get that through a journey that is testing and difficult, much like the ones described in Coelho’s books.
“I’m stuck now cause I’ve read all of Coelho’s books,” she laments. “I used to really take my time reading them. They just give me a sense of perspective. Like a lot of people today, I ask myself who am I and why am I here. Reading Coelho’s perspectives on life helps.”
While Kavita has read Chopra’s Perfect Health and The Book of Secrets, she still prefers Coelho’s writing.
Coelho, she says, tells a story and takes you on a journey. His books teach you in a subtle way. While Chopra’s books do make some valid points, he is a lot more Westernised and seems to be writing more for the American market.
Asian Branding: A Great Way to Fly is another book that Kavita has read and says is great reading. Written by Ian Batey, of Batey Ads, the book has ideas on how to brand Asian products.
“He’s one of the first few people to do advertised products and brand them. He was the one who came up with the concept of the Singapore Girl for Singapore Airlines.
“This book even has one part on batik, although here he refers to Indonesian batik. He reckons that if you brand it in the right way, batik can be really big business. It’s a great book with great ideas.”
Kavita was also caught up in the wave of excitement over Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Along with that book, she read Brown’s Angels & Demons, which gave her a good idea of the customs and procedures involved in choosing a new pope.
One of the books she raves about is by the Dalai Lama and entitled The Art of Happiness at Work. “All the questions are very specific to the Dalai Lama, about how we can find happiness in such a stressful life,” she says.
Currently, she’s reading the Mahabharata. Her sister-in-law gave her two volumes on her birthday. “It’s interesting. Apparently, she says if you finish reading the Mahabharata, something good will happen to you in your life,” explains Kavita, smiling.
The broad range of subject matter covered in the books she reads is a reflection of her attempt to understand herself and others. While these books offer different perspectives on life and life’s issues, they also help her do some soul searching and to think outside the box, which she enjoys doing.
Copyright Star Publications (M) Bhd
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