Model and actor Anandha Kannan believes that love is divine.
God and I
I sign my autographs with Anbae Sivam. I wanted a short but profound belief through which I can communicate with my fans and friends and that was Anbae Sivam, which means love is divine.
Rituals and influences
My dad is a free thinker and my mother is a religious person. I was never forced to do anything I did not like. The earliest prayer I remember seeking god for a long time was “let everybody be well, I must excel in studies!” I guess that was all it mattered to me then. Growing up in Singapore, Thaipusam (kavadi carrying festival) and Theemidhi (fire-walking ceremony) were part of all Hindus and even many Chinese families. I have taken part in these ceremonies seeking a newer and better me.
What I learnt
Being the boy from an island, I got excited to understand the magnitude of India. I started traveling to nearby destinations like Kolimalai, Thalakonam, Hogenakkal and faraway mountains like Kedarnath, Badrinath and Nepal. All this trips and treks are not only physical journey but also happened to be the journey inward. I feel that the energy of the dense forest, running streams and huge mountains are very spiritual.
Miracles
The best miracle which happened to me is ME. I remember telling my friends that “I was never rich but I have never felt I’m a poor.” I have been always given so much of love and care that money or materialistic pleasures did not mean too much.
Outside influences
My greatest spiritual influence comes from movies. I believe that any hit movie will have a spiritual concept subtly running in it. One such example will be a scene from The Big Fish by Tim Burton. The protagonist will be working for a boss who will become a werewolf now and then (like most of the bosses). The protagonist upon seeing the boss in his ugly form will remain calm, and throw a stick for the wolf to fetch. The wolf will slowly start playing with him. This revealed no matter how ugly and crude we might project ourselves, we want to be listened to, spoken to and be loved. But spirituality for me is — love thy neighbour.
My role in the world
I believe I do have a role to play in making this world a better place. Whether we choose to call it right brain activity or emotional intelligence, I will ensure that the message ‘Love fellow beings’ is in all my productions and creations. I will live far beyond my lifetime for my future generations. In three words I’ll say, I am God!