'I miss the Diwali smells at home'

'Diwali will be meaningful only when we eradicate the darkness in our hearts.'

 

Tiger Shroff

It's a working Diwali for me.

I am in the UK shooting for Ganapath.

I will miss being with my family this Diwali, but Dad always says work is the best way to celebrate any special occasion.

 

Mohit Raina

I have lost a lot of loved ones, friends and family, so I will just light a diya and pray for everyone's peace and health.

 

Aahana Kumra

I will be performing in my play Sir Sir Sarla on Diwali evening.

 

Hema Malini

Diwali is my favourite festival.

It means being with my family, dressing up in beautiful, new clothes, making rangolis and eating mithai.

There is no greater joy for me than spending time with my children and grandchildren.

I wish not a single home in our country will go without light this Diwali.

 

Asha Parekh

Diwali has changed.

That excitement and the spirit of joy and festivity are missing.

But this year, the COVID threat has receded, so I will have a few close friends over.

But no crackers. Only phooljharis, and sweets.

Lata Mangeshkar

Considering what the entire world has gone through, this Diwali is low-key for my family and me.

My sisters and I love to do the rangoli.

Putting colours into auspicious shapes used to be a big thing for us.

Ab woh utsah kahan raha?

The destruction and loss of human life all around us doesn't quite put us in a festive mood.

I remember my mother used to bathe oil and anoint all of us children with uptan on Diwali.

It used to be a big occasion in our home.

Diwali meant family and friends, home-made mithai and hand-made diyas.

The phooljharis and patakas were so appealing. Now, they are a public nuisance.

Everything is made-to-order now. You call a shop, you get flowers sent to friends. You call a sweet shop and they have mithai sent in fancy, designer-packets and expensive matkas.

It's not about feelings and warmth any longer.

It's about how much you can show rather than how much you can feel.

Nowadays, people prefer to send dry fruits rather than mithai because they are more convenient and less perishable.

I miss my mother. She represented the Diwali spirit for me.

I miss the Diwali smells at home -- the mithai being cooked on the chulha, the ghee in the diyas, the scent of burning camphor...

All those aromatic feelings associated with Diwali are long gone.

It's strange, but I can't remember a single Diwali song of my own, at least not any happy ones.

Maybe that's an indication of how difficult and different Diwali has become.

 

Shabana Azmi

Jadu (Javed Akhtar) has joined me in Delhi and we are having an intimate gathering at a close friend's home.

I will miss the big family bash in Mumbai but keeping COVID precautions in mind, this seems to be the best option.

There is an NGO that makes crackers that turn into flowers... we will light those.

It is very, very important that we take utmost care in minimising pollution and celebrating festivals in a sustainable manner.

 

Sonu Sood

Diwali is always with family.

But this time, there are a lot of visitors from all over country to meet me, waiting below my apartment.

These are people who want to thank me for helping them in whatever capacity I could.

Spending time with these people who love me is the best Diwali gift I can give myself.

 

Vishal Krishna

I have a big Diwali release Enemy this year, so my friend and co-star Arya and I are promoting it with all our energy.

Rajinikanth sir has a release also (Annaatthe). I wish his film all the best.

Of course, his film has an upper hand.

Please see Annaatthe and then my film too. They are two different experiences.

 

Adivi Sesh

I will perform pooja with my parents, which I used to as a kid in the US.

Nice to have some old traditions come back.

 

Vijay Deverakonda

Diwali this year is with family.

I feel Diwali will be meaningful only when we eradicate the darkness in our hearts.

Noise and air pollution caused by bursting of crackers must stop.

Babies and animals are a big part of the population.

Make Diwali peaceful for them.

 

Shatrughan Sinha

There is no greater joy this year than to see a light of hope burning in every house.

We've been through some terrible times recently and this Diwali is relatively less stressful than last year, thanks to COVID Maharaj's withdrawal from our lives.

But I advise utmost caution during the festivities.

Do not celebrate with friends.

Restrict your celebration to family.

I also want to wish my friend Rajinikanth all the best on the release of his new film Annaatthe.

Also, Akshay Kumar and Rohit Shetty on the release of Sooryavanshi.

The future of movie theatres in North India depends on the success of this film.