For Sharad Kelkar and Keerti Gaekwad Kelkar, Gudi Padwa is all about welcoming the Marathi New Year with excitement, enthusiasm and positivity. Needless to mention, with Maharashtra bidding adieu to Coronavirus restrictions from today, the festive fervour has gone up by several notches for the Kelkars. Decked up in traditional attire, the couple tells us what makes Gudi Padwa so special this time...

“The celebrations become meaningful when you are surrounded by the people you love,” says Keerti, who feels happy about normalcy returning to everyone’s lives now.

Keerti adds, “The last two years have been tough, and we all have mostly celebrated special occasions with just close family members. While I love that too, I am looking forward to having friends over for lunch at our residence today.”

To this, Sharad says, “It feels great to celebrate Gudi Padwa in a somewhat normal manner; the way we used to earlier. I can’t wait to have a nice gathering at home today after two long years.”

Recounting their first Gudi Padwa as a married couple, Sharad says, “We’ve been married for more than 15 years now, and I still distinctly remember our first Gudi Padwa together. It was just a few days before our wedding anniversary, and it was just the two of us celebrating the day, enjoying each other’s company. Today, my mother lives with us. We have our daughter, our friends. So, the celebrations have become much bigger and happier now.”

Since the occasion is all about new beginnings, the two have also set certain goals for themselves. Sharad shares, “My resolution is to work on myself. I have received a lot of love and appreciation in the last two years for my work, be it in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, Bhuj: The Pride Of India or Laxmii, and I want to continue doing that. Of course, I will work on bettering my craft. I also want to focus on my physical well-being. By the next Gudi Padwa, I want people to see me transformed; I have already been working hard towards achieving that goal.”

Keerti, who is excited about returning to showbiz, adds, “It has been a while since I last appeared on screen. I love acting and this year I am happy to be finally returning to it. I know that even though I have been away from the screen, my audience still has that connection with me, and I just hope that I live up to their love and expectations. So, as a resolution, I intend to invest more time in my career.”