Kunal Kapoor goes all out to revive India’s literary heritage
There have been numerous discussions and debates about the remnants of Indian heritage and the need to focus on assisting those working towards restoring what is left of it. And among the numerous artefacts and structures that have survived, the most important are the Sanskrit texts. And actor Kunal Kapoor is doing his part by assisting eGangotri Digital Preservation Trust in raising funds for the digitisation of rare books and manuscripts.
“It’s incredibly heartening to see how many people have come forward to start fundraisers and contribute,” says Kapoor about the response he’s received after his crowdfunding platform set up the fundraiser. The initiative “focuses on Sanskrit texts and manuscripts” dealing with “Indological scholarship, yoga and mysticism”.
The crowdfunding is also to pay the salaries and
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- Aristotle (9,4) operational expenses of the staff that works tirelessly to “make our nation’s textual heritage preserved forever and available 24/7”. The Rang De Basanti (2006) actor adds, “I had worked with a number of NGOs in the social space and saw very closely the challenges they were facing. We felt that we needed to leverage the power of technology to help them overcome these challenges.”
Workwise, the actor who was last seen in Noblemen (2018), has been picky about choosing his scripts. Moreover, he has gone on to work in numerous other films industries as well. This is because he feels, “as a creative person, this is the best time to be in the industry. There are so many different avenues that are available”. So, what is his take on the “insider-outsider” debate that is raging today? “Nepotism does exist in the industry,” he says, adding, “If you are from a film family you definitely have an advantage, to begin with. But why single out only the movie industry? It exists everywhere — from the smallest shopkeeper to the biggest industrial houses.”
He adds that eventually, the audience is only interested in what the actor brings to the screen, in his/her personal capacity. “Which is why you have so many actors, directors, writers that aren’t from film families that have made it,” he says, adding,
“I do believe as a country, we are changing. We aren’t interested in legacy as much as we are in merit.”
I had worked with a number of NGOs and saw very closely the challenges they were facing. We felt the needed help them overcome these challenges.
Actor Katie Holmes has learned several lessons amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In an interview with etonline.com, Katie spoke about her quarantine life with her 14-year-old daughter, Suri.
“This lockdown has had a lot of silver linings,” she said, adding, “I’ve been taking time to FaceTime and really be there, be present. This year has also been a reminder that the simple things are really beautiful and that is, those are the gifts of life.”
On the work front, Katie is all set to feature in the film, The Secret: Dare To Dream. She portrays Miranda Wells, a widow with three children who is struggling to be there for her family. “The narrative is a good accompaniment to the book. She’s really struggling to provide financially and emotionally, and you see her exhausted and really not surrendering to anything. That’s taking its toll on her children and her relationships and she’s just not being true to herself,” Katie shared.