Taapsee Pannu’s home in Mumbai makes for the perfect backdrop to talk about all things Lohri. The ethnic interiors include red-brick walls, jute charpais and wall-mounted jharokhas, which remind you of a traditional home in the North.

Recollecting fond memories of celebrating the festival in Delhi, where she grew up, Taapsee says, “In the North, Lohri is celebrated with gusto. I remember that every year, a family member would host Lohri celebrations at their place to mark a special development in their life.”

Taapsee says, “Agar kisi ke ghar shaadi hui ho, or a child is born, then that family would host the festival at their home that year. So, we would already know ki iss saal Lohri kiske ghar hogi and we would be excited about it. During this time of the year, it gets extremely cold in Delhi, so we would look forward to the bonfire. We would play Punjabi songs and dance around the bonfire together.”

Taapsee says that her sister, Shagun Pannu, would be her dance partner. “Since I enjoyed dancing, I would force Shagun to dance with me. I identify myself as a dancer first because I am trained in it. The functions at your home are probably your first steps towards showing your talent. So, after the women in the household were done dancing to folk numbers, we would share our playlist and dance our hearts out,” says Taapsee.

She recalls that the dancing was followed by a feast where seasonal delicacies like revdi and gajak were served. “I like gajak. Whenever my mom comes to Mumbai, she brings boxes of gajak from Delhi. When I came to Mumbai, I was introduced to chikki, which reminded me of gajak,” the Thappad actress says.

Work has been keeping Taapsee busy. She even missed the Lohri celebration hosted by her first cousin last year. However, she is glad that an intimate ceremony is hosted in her residential complex every year. “In Mumbai, Lohri is not celebrated on the scale that it is in the North. However, there are some Punjabi families in my society, who host it and welcome everyone to participate. They arrange for a bonfire and serve food and sweets,” she says.

Ask her if her boyfriend, Danish badminton player Mathias Boe, knows about the festival and whether they celebrate it together, and she says, “No, he has never been a part of Lohri celebrations. I think he would think of it as a bonfire that you dance around and then eat a lot of good food (laughs).”

The actress shares, “My latest film Dunki marks a milestone in my career and if I were in Delhi, I would have hosted Lohri this year to celebrate the success.”