‘The book was brilliant, beautiful and bitter’

Fashion designer Krishna Mehta counts The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand as her all-time favourite novel. “There is immense strength portrayed with equally strong emotions which have been written brilliantly, beautifully and bitterly,” says the lady who read it thrice so far. The fashion designer selected the book herself as she does with most of her choices, “seldom going by hearsay”, she clarifies. 

She first read this book about 30 years ago but says that she can still relate to the characters and the circumstances. “They are amazingly captured in the most fluid language,” says Krishna.  Excerpts from her favourite passage reads: ‘She tried to demonstrate her power over him. And he defeated her by admitting her power, she could not have the gratification of enforcing it...’

The lady sure has a varied choice, going by what she has presently on her bedside table. “I am reading The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Winner Stands Alone by Paul Coelho and Jalebi Management.

“For me, my life is one big vacation, each day a new dawn, one more beautiful than the other. I don’t need a different book for one more holiday!” avers Krishna.

What does she consider to be her favourite film? “It keeps changing, but I am fond of Mamma Mia. As a kid I loved The Sound of Music and still do,” she says.

Krishna recollects a scene from The Sound of Music which she vividly recollects: “Captain von Trapp: ‘Now, when I want you, this is what you will hear.’ (blows whistle) Maria ‘Oh, no, sir. I’m sorry, sir. I could never answer to a whistle. Whistles are for dogs and cats and other animals, but not for children — and definitely not for me’.”