India’s Dancing Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, who is currently seen in Laughter Chefs, loves reading and prefers to hold a book in his hand while doing so. Though he agrees that audiobooks have become popular of late, he believes that books have their own charm.
Speaking on the occasion of National Book Lover’s Day, which is observed on August 9, he said, “There are many platforms for books, and it’s great to listen to motivational content when you’re traveling or busy. But for me, reading a physical book has a special value. When you read a physical book, you can underline important quotes or paragraphs, which helps you remember them when you revisit the book. This is something digital formats can’t provide as easily. Finding specific passages in digital books can be frustrating, whereas a physical book allows you to easily mark and revisit important parts. The pleasure of holding a book and making notes adds to its unique value.”
“I believe that holding a physical book is a simple pleasure. It’s like being a chef who enjoys looking at and tasting real food rather than just seeing pictures of it. A physical book gives you the pleasure of having something tangible, just like how a well-stocked library adds value to a home. There’s a famous saying that a home with a large library is a home of knowledge. My younger daughter created a beautiful library in our house, and I have a special library in my studio as well. I used to spend half of my salary on buying books, always making sure to add new ones to my collection. This physical connection to books is something you can truly appreciate only when you have them in hand,” he added.
He stressed that he is really fond of reading books. He said, “One time, I was given a challenge by my director of Turban Tadka to come up with something memorable that people would remember me for. At that time, my daughter was reading a book called Mahatma, which talked about Gandhi’s use of salt to start the freedom struggle. This idea inspired me.” “I realized that if Gandhi could make something as simple as salt so important, maybe I could too. This led me to create a jingle ‘Namak Samak’, which ended up becoming famous worldwide. I’m really grateful that this book helped me come up with such a memorable concept,” he added. Chef Harpal doesn’t believe that the culture of reading books will ever die. He said, “Hardbound books have a special value. While audiobooks and other formats are useful when you’re traveling or busy, physical books allow you to underline important points and make notes. This helps you remember and reflect on key ideas when you revisit the book. No other format, including digital books or social media, can offer this same experience.”
A book that you have read multiple times? “One book that always stands out to me is my culinary book. I often refer back to it because it’s a great source of inspiration. As a chef, I have a collection of culinary books, but I also go back to motivational books like Who Moved My Cheese? and Ankur Warikoo’s Do Epic Shit. I keep browsing these books to stay motivated and push myself out of my comfort zone. There are other interesting books I read as well, but these are the ones I return to frequently for inspiration and guidance,” Chef Harpal shared.
