Rohit Roy is a Bengali, but at heart he is just as much a Gujarati, having spent 18 years in Ahmedabad before moving to Mumbai.

The actor says, “It’s a double whammy for me as I am a Bengali who grew up in Gujarat, and is also married to a Gujarati, so we celebrate both Navratri and Durga Puja at home. My wife (Manasi Joshi Roy) keeps telling me that I am more of a Gujarati than Bengali, and that’s why I am going to gorge on dhokla, patra and whatever I can in Mumbai.”

In a chat with us, Rohit shares his Navratri and pujo plans for this year and how he enjoys binging on food during festivities:

Talking about how he enjoys dressing up for the festivals, Rohit says, “The fashion is completely different in both festivals, so I dress up as a Bengali when I go for pujo and as a Gujarati when I go for dandiya.”

Rohit by his own admission is an absolute foodie, “These four-five days, with a gap of a day or two, I binge on food every day. There is something about festive eating that doesn’t make you feel that you have cheated. It is actually a celebration of Maa and I enjoy the bhog at Durga Puja.”

During the four days of Durga Puja, “we buy a new set of clothes for each day, go pandal-hopping and do puja at home. The prasad just doesn’t taste the same when you make it at home. There is something about it when we eat after being offered to Maa Durga. It’s got her blessings, warmth and protection,” says Rohit.

Reminiscing about his days in Ahmedabad, Rohit says, “Some of my best Navratri memories are from Ahmedabad. I used to study at St. Xavier’s College. There used to be a housing society called Jay Shefali (near Satellite) that hosted an amazing garba event every year. NID’s garba events were also classy and we used to hear so much about them. We always wanted to attend those events and dance our hearts out, but the places were beyond the reach of a middle-class teenager.”

Rohit says, “We used to have limited passes, but our friends living in Jay Shefali and those studying at NID helped us attend these events. We would get in with a pass and then sneak the pass back through a fence to another friend waiting outside. Those were fun times – we were so jugadu! I remember we once won an award at one of these garba events. Those memories will always be special.”

However, things have changed for the actor as he makes appearances during the festival. “Now things have changed, and I travel all over Gujarat during the festival. Unfortunately, I am usually on the stage, but I try and make it a point to get amongst the crowd and shake a leg. Because what is the point of going on the stage and just waving to fans without dancing?” says Rohit.

Fitness does take a backseat during festivals, but it doesn’t matter much for someone who maintains it through the year. “I am into fitness because I want to enjoy life, travel and I am a foodie and if I can’t have prasad during festivities what’s the point of doing all that?”