Huma Qureshi sports a radiant glow in white ethnic wear as she celebrates Eid with a special shoot for us. For her, it isn’t merely a festival; it’s a feeling, a ritual of togetherness, and a gentle reminder of all that truly matters.

While this year, it’ll be a celebration at home, among her fondest memories is a chaotic, joy-filled Eid from her college days. “I came home late, and 17 of my girlfriends had already landed. The food had gone cold, but no one cared. We just sat and ate thanda khana – biryani, korma – while my mother kept yelling at us,” she recounts.

Talking about what Eid signifies for her, Huma says, “Sharing with friends, family, people around you, your community, and perhaps people who are less privileged than you are. Ramzan is a month when we do a lot of things – whether it’s iftar or just sharing whatever we’re eating and opening our table out to friends and others. I think it’s a very important part of who we are as a family. I have a bunch of friends whom I don’t even need to invite. If it’s Eid, they’ll come home. The relationship is not just with me, but also with my family and mother. They want to have uske haat ka khana.”

For Huma, Ramzan is less about grand gestures and more about mindful pauses. “We often forget to take a moment, pause and be genuinely grateful for what we have in our daily life,” she says.

For Huma, Eid fashion was serious business growing up. “What will I wear? Salwar kameez or lehenga? It was a proper discussion when I was a kid,” she laughs. Then came the real highlight – eidi. “All of us cousins would stand in a line after namaz and collect money from every elder. Then we’d try to sneak back in again. The day would end with counting, comparing and of course, chocolates.”

Eid memories for Huma cannot be complete without her actor-brother, Saqib Saleem. She shares, “I remember stealing his money! We would have lots of fights over chocolates, because he would save them and I would finish mine.” Cooking, she admits candidly, is not her strength. “Unfortunately, I have not learned how to make a good biryani, but I definitely know where to find a good biryani and to appreciate it. That’s also an art,” she says with a grin.

Yash: The film Toxic, I’ve already got my Eidi.

Saqib Saleem: Undivided attention and time

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Already got my Eidi—we’ve worked together

Farah Khan: I don't want any Eidi from her. She sends me so much food like every week. Maybe she should stop sending me so much food! (Laughs)

Rachit Singh: A free acting workshop. He is the best.

Tara Sutaria: She should just keep smiling all the time. She has a gorgeous smile.

Hina Khan is filled with gratitude and is beaming with excitement for Eid this year. And rightly so, because this Eid holds special significance for Hina, who has emerged stronger and resilient after a tumultuous year of battling cancer. Dressed in a stunning yellow sharara for an exclusive photoshoot with Bombay Times, she radiates happiness and positivity. Excerpts from a conversation.

Growing up in Kashmir, Hina’s Eid celebrations were always filled with anticipation. “As a child, I would eagerly wait for Eid, wondering when the chand would be sighted,” she reminisces and adds, “There was always an air of excitement and anticipation – would Eid be tomorrow or day after?

Hina says, “We would have a bag ready with our dress and footwear. For me, Eid was a lot about dressing up and Eidi. I was never as excited about the food.” She further says that as an actress, dressing up now has a different meaning, because she has to do it so often. “You dress up so much as an actor that on Eid, if you’re at home, you just want to chill in your pyjamas or probably dress up casually.”

Eid is a time for reflection and gratitude, and for Hina, the past 10 months have been extremely tough, but also a testament to her courage and determination as she battled cancer and underwent chemotherapy. “I am so grateful this Eid. I did not keep all the rozas. When Ramzan started, I kept six rozas at a stretch and I could even exercise. My doctors have been so kind and accommodative. They told me I can have my medicines, which I am supposed to have at regular intervals during the day, at sehri and iftar. They said, ‘Hina, listen to your body. If you can manage it, then it is fine’. So, I have a lot of gratitude for the way my body managed it all.”

Hina’s resilience is a beacon of inspiration for others, who might be navigating similar challenges in life. But even through this ordeal, she didn’t let her spirit take a beating. She admits, “I will not say it was not tough. I’ve had bad days. I’ve had terrible days. But there were good days, too. The last 10 months have gone by in a flash. I have made some amazing memories. I travelled with my family, and we had so many adventures and family gatherings. It’s our choice what we want to prioritise and what memories we want to feed into our life. I choose to make good memories.”

On a parting note, ask Hina what she wants as Eidi this year and she says, “I want to be cancer-free for life. What else would I wish for? I keep telling myself that I am healing and that I will be cancer-free for life. This is what any cancer patient who has gone through so much would wish for. Nothing else.”

Hina gets into a nostalgic mood as she tells us how she yearned to be in Kashmir this Eid, but couldn’t do that because of work commitments.

She shares, “When Ramzan started, I told my mom that we’d go to Kashmir to celebrate Eid with my extended family. I was very excited about it, but things didn’t work out. I have some wonderful memories from my childhood days there. My nani would take me to several dargahs where I used to go barefoot in the mornings.”

She adds, “This Eid is going to be simple. It will be Ro’s (partner Rocky Jaiswal) family, my family and probably a couple of friends celebrating together.”

Social media has been rife with speculation around Malayalam actor Mammootty’s health, after unverified sources claimed he had stepped away from filming following a cancer diagnosis.

However, the actor’s team has clarified that he is simply “on a break”. A statement released on Sunday read, “It is fake news. [Mammootty] is on vacation because he is fasting for Ramzan. He is on a break... because of that.”

Rumours first spread after a Reddit user claimed that the 73-year-old had been diagnosed with early stage colon cancer. This quickly spread online, leaving many concerned. But the actor’s statement has reassured fans that he will resume shooting for filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan’s upcoming project after the break.

Interestingly, Mammootty was spotted on the sets of the film — tentatively titled MMMN — last month. The project also stars Nayanthara and sees Mammootty and Mohanlal reunite on screen 16 years after Twenty:20 (2008).

Singer Javed Ali, who is best known for his soulful songs, feels the holy month of Ramzan brings out the “best in me”.

“I tell people that you should record me more during Ramzan,” the 42-year-old muses. Ask him why, and he explains, “The texture of the voice changes after one consumes food. So, when we fast during Ramzan, there is a very different roohani (soulful) connection. Kaam aur zyada accha hota hai. I have noticed a kind of freshness in my voice while recording during Ramzan.”

He says it is no coincidence that some of his hits were recorded while he was observing roza: “I recorded the title song of Ishaqzaade (2012), Tu Jo Mila (Bajrangi Bhaijaan, 2015) and Kuch Nahi (Tubelight, 2017) while observing roza. Aur dekho, unn gaano ka kitna asar hai!”

A religious person at heart, Javed tries to observe roza at any cost, even while he is travelling. Though he admits that he faces some challenges while doing so, he takes it all in his stride: “After iftar, when you consume food, your stamina drops. But you have to manage.”

Dwelling on what the holy month means to him, Javed reflects, “It’s tough to define Ramzan ka mauhal aur khushi in words. Many feel we are hungry throughout the day, but it’s nothing like that at all! In fact, we gain more power and control. I feel all rozedars enjoy fasting and doing iftar with family and friends at the dastarkhān with amazing food.”