Amyra Dastur holds her childhood memories related to the Parsi New Year very close to her heart. Reminiscing the time, she says, “My favourite memories are from when all of us lived together before I moved out and my brother went to the UK for work. We would always sneak out desserts from the fridge while mom wasn’t looking. Sometimes, even my dad helped us if they were on a high shelf. In fact, Parsi New Year is my favourite day of the year.”

Much like every year, the actor’s looking forward to spending the day with her family reliving the old times: “My mom is the best cook in our family; she makes the best dishes on New Year. My family in Mumbai will get together for lunch. My cousins and I play cards together. It’s our favourite thing to do when the four of us meet.”

For Dastur, festivals are also about going easy on her diet and devouring cheat meals. “I’m looking forward to the kulfi that mom gets from Parsi Dairy Farm (Mumbai). It’s my favourite ice cream and I’ve eaten bowls of it without any guilt and that’s exactly what I plan to do this year as well!” she shares.

While the essence of festivals may have changed due to the pandemic, the actor hopes they continue to be all about “being with family and your loved ones”. She adds, “Festivals should be the time to help the needy and give back to society and Mother Earth.”

Dastur says she hopes for a smooth reopening of our country and no third wave. “I also wish to see theatres running and shoots resuming in full force,” the actor ends.