Soaking in the auspicious spirit of Durga Puja, Rani Mukerji takes us through the nuances of the festival and what it truly stands for. Here’s what she said as she took us on a trip down memory lane.

Since childhood, I have seen my parents participate in our family Durga Puja, and this is our 76th year. For us, as probashi Bengalis, (Bengalis who stay outside of West Bengal), it was very important for my parents to inculcate the Bengali culture in us, especially during this festival. Whether it was performing on stage to Rabindranath Tagore’s plays, songs and skits, to enriching us culturally and educating us about the famous Bengali poets and writers – on these five days we did everything associated with our Bengali culture.

The puja is elaborate and beautiful -- whether it’s the sandhi pujo which is done by using 108 earthen lamps, 108 lotuses, garland of 108 bel pattas. It’s a sight to behold. Even the dhunuchi dance is beautiful. The bhog that we serve and eat, is something we wait for the whole year and believe that food tastes amazing only on those pujo days as there is a different energy that passes through the food as well. We worship Durga Ma as she is the deity of war who symbolises the power of good over evil. We celebrate Dussehra also with a lot of fervour. On that day all the Bengali ladies offer meethai to the deities. The sindoor that is put on Durga Maa is a blessing and traditionally, very precious for Bengali women. We feel sad on the last day of the festival, because suddenly the five days of fun and celebration come to an end and we feel bad that Durga Maa is going back and we will only get to see her a year later.

From the films of the 1940s and 50s to now, there has always been a great representation of women. We always had very strong women depicted in our films and it has been carried forward as well. Just because some films did not depict women in the right way, that does not mean that our cinema failed to do so. Cinema has always depicted the strength of women beautifully and at the end of the day, cinema is incomplete without women. Art imitates life. And honestly, nothing can ever exist without the presence of women. Hindi cinema has given us great films that represent strong women through decades, so to pinpoint and say it is not enough, seems unfair. I think there will always be a challenge for each generation and each decade to do their best work in the depiction of women. That is an ongoing process. But, in my career span, I have seen extremely strong depiction of women, who have had a very strong voice.

As an actor, my motivation stems from the desire to tell compelling stories about women from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. I believe every woman possesses qualities akin to Goddess Durga. Every woman is a hero in her own right, regardless of her role, profession or social standing. In my films, I aim to showcase the strength and resilience that women possess. For example, my recent film, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, featured a simple housewife who displayed incredible power and resilience, truly embodying the essence of a hero. Throughout my life, I have been influenced by strong women. I grew up hearing tales of Rani Lakshmibai (Rani of Jhansi) because my father hailed from Jhansi. Visiting his ancestral home, I remember our early morning walks to the Rani of Jhansi fort, where he showed me the spot from where she bravely jumped off with her son on her back, fighting against the British. These are all stories about strong women that my father told me. Meeting Mother Teresa as a young girl and receiving her blessings was a significant moment, as well. Such encounters with remarkable women have left a lasting impression on me and continue to inspire my work.

All the Bengalis in Mumbai and outside the city congregate for our pujo. For us Bengalis, celebrating Durga Puja is like Eid, Diwali, Holi… all the festivals rolled into one. These five days are full of fun, food, culture, music, and everything to do with Bengali traditions, whether you are living in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata or anywhere in India and around the world. It is a tradition that I am now passing on to my daughter (Adira) and my brother has passed on to his children. The newer generation is imbibing the enthusiasm from us, like we did from our parents.