Actor Sonali Bendre, who recently released her second book "A Book of Books", says she has "mad respect" for authors and would not call herself one until she writes at least 20 of them.

Bendre, best known for films such as "Diljale", "Major Saab", "Sarfarosh", "Zakhm", and "Hum Saath Saath Hain", said being a public figure gives her the "privilege" to write and engage in meaningful conversations though she still primarily views herself as an actor.

"I'll call myself an author only if I write 20 books, not before that. I have some mad respect for authors -- what they do, the way they write, the way an author can transport you somewhere, the way they make you think; only an author can do that.

"So, I have really not thought of myself as an author in that sense. I have always looked at myself more as an actor, but it is a creative field. I am a creative person, and there are various ways through which you express your creativity," Bendre told PTI in an interview.

The actor's passion for books led her to launch 'Sonali's Book Club', a digital community that celebrates literature and meaningful conversations. She made debut as an author in 2015 with "The Modern Gurukul: My Experiment with Parenting".

Her latest endeavour, "A Book of Books", is intended for everyone -- both avid readers and those less inclined -- and delves into the importance of reading, especially the value of starting young.

Replete with colourful illustrations by Rohina Thapar, it also suggests what to read, with recommendations for children, young adults and adults, across genres and for varied reading interests.

Bitten by the reading bug since childhood, the 50-year-old actor admits she would choose books over movies any day. She also feels that book-to-screen adaptations often fail to capture the true essence of the originals.

However, Bendre said that "Dune", the American epic space opera film franchise adapted from Frank Herbert's 1965 novels, has come close to doing justice to the original work.

"I still stand by the fact that no movie can do justice to books, but this ('Dune') comes close," she explained.

That said, the actor has been actively searching for the right book for adaptation -- either for production or one in which she could play a character.

"I haven't found that book yet, but I am looking for it, and I am sure I will find it," she said, adding that in Bollywood, her "Hum Saath Saath Hain" co-star Saif Ali Khan is also a "voracious reader".

"It was good to exchange notes with Saif and have his recommendations in books".

Bendre, who is married to producer Goldie Behl, took a break from work after she welcomed her son Ranveer in 2005 and later appeared as a judge on reality TV shows such as "India's Got Talent", "India's Best Dramebaaz" and TV series "Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye".

She went on a seven-year hiatus in 2018 when she was diagnosed with cancer.

During her recovery, Bendre credited reading -- especially a book on tennis icon Serena Williams that detailed her struggles, challenging pregnancies, and triumphant return to championship wins -- as a vital part of her healing journey.

"She was such a role model. I thought, 'See what she has gone through, and she has come back to the physical fitness level of winning a championship'. Picking out stories like that, stories that encourage you to heal yourself, to try not just to get back to what you were, but to be better than what you were.

"I really took my illness as a journey that was helping me educate myself, helping me evolve as a person, and because I was looking at it in that sense, the kinds of books I was reading also changed," she added.

Bendre returned to acting with the first season of the ZEE5 web series "The Broken News", which premiered in 2022. The second chapter of the TV newsroom drama premiered last year.

Having written two non-fiction books, Bendre -- who likes to pick something in the fantasy fiction genre to decompress herself -- hopes to write a novel in the future.

"There are many stories and characters that come to mind, and they stay with me. But then I feel like I can't take them all the way to a full book. I can’t make a whole story out of them. So maybe when I have a little more time, someday I’ll pick out these various characters and see if I can bring them together and write something. You never say never," she added.

"A Book of Books", priced at Rs 599, is currently available for purchase across online and offline stores.

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