With The Autobiography of God, actor Lenaa Kumar turns author. “Mind you, it is not my autobiography, it is a work of fiction. The word ‘autobiography’ might be misleading,” says Lenaa over the phone. She is excited about the book, which touches upon how to achieve self-realisation and, eventually, self-actualisation. It has been fuelled by her own quest for the answer to the ‘self-actualisation’ question.
In simple terms, self-actualisation means to realise one’s potential, and the components of self-realisation are realising your dream, being true to the self and achieving inner peace, which is the (comparatively) easier of the two. “It is remembering what/who you are. And understanding that it (self-actualisation) is accessible to everyone and not just a chosen few,” says Lenaa, who spoke about the question of the self in her TED Talk in November, 2022, at St. Teresa’s College, Kochi.
These two are concepts in psychology that Lenaa has delved into as a student of the subject; she holds a Master’s degree in Psychology. The book is a simplified method to reaching self-actualisation via self-realisation by addressing the five W’s — Who, Why, What, When and Where.
Work-wise the actor is on a roll, her outing in Article 21 received praise and Olam, which she scripted, released earlier this year. The book is the result of a promise she made to herself. She had been under psychiatric treatment and medication for 14-odd years, and she had told herself that if she stopped medication for two years in a row, she would author a book for those like her, suffering from anxiety or depression.
The bookcover | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Autobiography of God was written over a couple of weeks but it is the sum of her experiences over the years. “The book evolved over the years. Alhough I had started writing in July 2020, I was constantly updating it over three years and, finally, in July, 2023 it was ready.” The content was culled also from her years of journaling.
The story begins with ‘God’ who wakes up in a psychiatric ward: it is narrated in the first person as, Lenaa explains, she wanted to be able to include what she wanted to say in the book. She confesses there are certain autobiographical elements.
Synchronicity, she says of how she landed the publisher, Beeja House. “The book was ready, and a Beeja House ad popped on my Instagram feed. The team worked with me over weekend workshops, the publishers are tailor-made for me. Everything fell into place. It is a labour of love, and a book is not a one-day wonder. It will live on.”
The book, which released in September, is available on Amazon and is priced ₹316
