Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; August 1, 2020)

For Aamna Sharif, Eid has always been about sharing and spreading love. The actress, who is currently seen in Kasautii Zindagii Kay, shares that the way she celebrates the festival has not changed over the years. However, this year, the celebrations might be different because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“It is not going to be like how we have always celebrated Eid. It is going to be different because we are not going to meet everyone as we have to follow social distancing. But what we should try and do is retain the essence of the festival as much as possible,” the actress tells us.

Talking about her early memories of Eid, Aamna, like any other child, would look forward to receiving Eidi from her elders. “As a child, all of us would look forward to waking up early in the morning and getting dressed. My mom would make sevai, sheer korma and biryani, and all those things I have learnt from her. The most exciting part as a child was to take blessings from the elders, going to our relatives’ houses and getting Eidi from everyone. For me, the festival has that feel of all the family members getting together and just having a good time,” she shares.

For Aamna, the festival is about sharing and caring, something she has kept with her since her childhood. Aamna says, “One thing that I love about this festival is how important it is to share, care and spread love. When we were kids, we would wake up in the morning and cook not just for ourselves, but for others as well. I still remember and still follow the same things we used to do as kids. The first thing we do is send the sevai and sheer khurrma to the neighbours, and then of course to friends and relatives. It is beautiful to show your love and care by sharing these things.”

As Aamna sends her Eid wishes to her fans, she urges everyone to be kind. “There is anyway so much negativity in the world right now, so be positive, be kind and spread as much love as possible,” she says.