BOMBAY TIMES (October 27, 2019)

On Diwali, you can light up so many lives, that is what the festival is about-Rakul Preet Singh

For Rakul Preet Singh, Diwali is about bringing smiles on the faces of people. The actress, whose parents stay in Gurgaon, shared what the festival means to her. “As a kid, I remember we used to burst crackers. When I was in the fifth grade, my dad gave me a 500 rupee note and asked me to burn it. I did not understand what he meant because 500 was a huge amount then. He then said, ‘Now that you are 10, I want you to understand that you are literally burning money when you are bursting crackers’. He then said that we should instead buy chocolates for our helper’s kids. I stopped bursting crackers since then. I don’t even hold it in my hand for just the heck of it because of the damage it does to the environment,” she says.

Rakul adds, “Diwali is about coming together, spending time with each other and making beautiful memories; but for me, every day is a festival. On Diwali, you can light up so many lives, that’s what it is all about for me.”
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As a kid, I loved having kheel khilone & barfi on Diwali-Kirti Kulhari

Since the last two years, Kirti Kulhari has been visiting her inlaws in Vishakapatnam for Diwali, but this time she will be celebrating the festival with her family at her home in Mumbai. She shares, “I have been married for three years and for the last two years, I have been going to Vishakhapatnam for Diwali and it is usually a small affair – we do puja, and it is just the family coming together. But this time, I will be celebrating the festival at my home in Mumbai. There will be nothing grand but I would probably call some friends over for dinner.”

Reminiscing about her Diwali celebrations as a kid, Kirti shares that she used to love kheel khilone and besan ki barfi that was sent to her from Rajasthan, her hometown.

“I used to love kheel khilone on Diwali. I used to get enamored with the lights of phooljhadis and chakris. I was also very fond of besan ki barfi that my masi would send me from Rajasthan. There was also a time when my mom used to make sweets at home, ab toh log banate bhi nahi hain. Diwali is the time to just sit down with people you love and the vibe of the festival makes you feel the togetherness and I love that,” she shares.
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I enjoy the small rituals associated with Diwali-Tamannaah Bhatia

“While growing up, I enjoyed making diyas and rangoli decorations during Diwali, and till date, these rituals hold great significance for me. I love savouring Diwali dishes, so during the festival my cheat meals mostly comprise rasmalai, kaju katri and gulab jamun. I also enjoy doing the puja at home and in office. I prefer eco-friendly celebrations, so I gave up bursting crackers when I was in the fifth grade as I realised child labour was involved in the firecracker business.

Diwali for me is a time to reflect and be grateful, optimistic and happy. I always make it a point to take out some time from my schedule to be at home, as it’s that time of the year when all my friends and relatives make a special effort to come together for the celebration. This year, too, I am going to stick to my resolution and spend time at home with people I love”.