This Karwa Chauth is “even more special” for actor Sonnalli A Sajnani and her businessman husband Ashesh Sajnani, as the arrival of their first baby is just a month away. While Sonnalli admits that fasting can be challenging for her, given her pregnancy, she reflects fondly on her experience last year, when observing her first Karwa Chauth fast “felt like a personal achievement”.

Ask her how she is planning to celebrate the festival today and the 35-year-old says, “Ashesh thinks I should not fast, but I’ll do it in some way. Maybe I will eat a lot for sargi and do a phal aahaar fasting where I will have only fruits or stick to sweets and juices.”

When asked if Ashesh will fast alongside her, she responds with a laugh, “He can’t fast”, adding, “More than that, I know a lot of men also do it to support their wives, which is sweet, but I’m too traditional. For me, it’s traditionally done by women. So, I never expected or wanted him to (fast). Even last year, he told me not to fast, but I wanted to. He’s not going to fast for me, that’s for sure.”

Sonnalli says that she loves the traditional aspects of the festival: “I love to wear red on Karwa Chauth. Also, I love to wear sindoor. I feel happy and special when I wear it. I make it a point to wear traditional attire and my mangalsutra.”

This year, she will opt for light fabrics in the evening. “Comfort is essential for me now, so I want something with cotton lining,” she explains.