From being fascinated by a magical world to learning a great deal about friendship; celebrities share their best memories of reading the books and watching the films as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone completes 25 years of publication.
Sharad Malhotra
– I was in school when I was introduced to Harry Potter. Our English class teacher introduced us to the series in school and during the library hours, I started reading Harry Potter and used to issue the book and take it home and return it back after reading. I was hooked on it. I loved Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone. It was a story of a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his 11th birthday.. I read this book again in lockdown 2 years back and that interested me to watch the film as well. The book taught the difference between friends and enemies. The content and the aspiration value still holds true. We all are still ambitious and want to become something and Harry Potter had a vision too.
Vijayendra Kumeria:
I read Harry Potter when I was 11 years old. My classmate introduced me to the series. The first book I read was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The story was quite frightening yet interesting. From it, I learned that personal identity is important in life. And I read the book again in the lockdown. It’s relevant because even today we’re discovering ourselves. I intend to introduce Harry Potter to my daughter soon.
Manish Naggdev
I remember I was 13-14 years old when this series was released and my friends and I were quite excited to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. My friends introduced me to the series. I only recently saw the movies again in Lockdown. And according to me the books include a lot of information that can be accessed after more than one reading. Harry and the team have taught us a lot. Face your worries (If Ron hadn’t overcome his fear of spiders, Harry definitely wouldn’t have survived. The best way to get over your fears is to face them.) It’s crucial to have self confidence. The secret to success is having faith in your abilities. When Ron felt he had Harry’s liquid luck during his Quidditch match, he taught us this crucial lesson as it turned out; He didn’t have it, he was a champion on his own. We are still discussing these books after all these years. This isn’t something that will simply disappear; it will always exist. Harry Potter is an amazing story of friendship, coming of age, redemption, and good versus evil; it’s an iconic childhood classic. And I think ALL KIDS should read.
Aditya Deshmukh
When the first Harry Potter Part actually arrived, I was in school. I was in 6th or 7th grade I guess. I was very excited about the magical world. It was a completely different thing altogether, though it was a very mature story and I loved reading it. I have seen the trailers and the promos whenever we used to watch the cartoon network, they used to telecast the promos so many times. It was exciting to watch something like this during that time. Well, my favourite series was the Chambers of Secrets and the Goblet of fire. I really love those books and I have read them and enjoyed them. And when I had seen the film, even till today I say that thing to myself that these two books are my favourite parts as far as the movie is concerned.
I think the USP of this series was friendship and being loyal to whatever you are. Because great power comes with great responsibilities. Of course, it’s a magical world, you might have so many powers but you have responsibilities too. Don’t misuse your power. Make sure you help others with that power because every person is sent for something or the other on this planet to help someone and you have to discover that power inside you and you have to understand how to use it and when to use it.
I think that time was different. They have created the world, it’s a parallel universe where there’s a magical world which doesn’t exist. It’s a fictitious world, you enjoy watching. Even today we relate to the story because we relive those days, we go back to our school days, the fun we used to have while reading these books and the way they used to portray those series through the medium of movies, it was fun watching them. And the way it is written in books and the way we see it when it is portrayed virtually, used to be very exciting.
Hrishikesh Pandey
– I think I was in a marketing research company when I was working and we used to do interviews with a lot of college guys and girls. I think they introduced me at that time. I was in Mumbai only and that’s how it started.
– I think that was the first philosopher stone. That was the book and then all started and I started reading. Must have read many others also after that two or three and then I, of course, started watching the movie only, so I got hooked on that.
– Yes, very inspiring of course and not because the writer is a female writer. Otherwise the entire movie is based on positivity, you never give up the kind of attitude which comes in use throughout our lives also. So that’s the way it’s been the case and definitely when you work, you don’t want to give up on anything, that’s the way it is.
– And also, we read the series, of course, and watch the movies because he’s always courageous, very positive and very helpful nature also. And he’s been helping people, friends and which definitely you learn a lot from there. one individual should be like that, helping friends, being there for people and standing by them. That is the most important thing. I would like to add because in our Hindi films also it’s the same thing, why do people like the heroes? Because of that positivity, at the end of the day when you are on the right, you always win and the person who’s doing wrong and on the wrong side always loses. So somewhere you have the faith always, faith remains there, if you’re right and you’re doing good, you’re definitely gonna win. So that’s been a thing and that is what I believe and that’s how people do it. Heroic.
.
.
.
.
.
