As the country is decking up to celebrate the festival of Navratri with religious fervour and gaiety, there’s also a pandemic looming at large in the country. ‘Navratri’ the festival of worshipping the nine forms of Maa Durga is celebrated for nine days and nights with great passion and jubilation. Just as the countdown for one of the most celebrated festivals of the year has started, people have begun indulging in the festivities. When it is about Navratri, Garba and Dandiya top the charts. The festival and the celebrations this year sure will be different, but here is what our Zee TV artists have to say about the festival amidst the pandemic.
Kanika Mann who plays the character of ChhotiGuddan from Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega shared,“I do celebrate Navratri in all its glory and I absolutely love playing Garbaduring this festival. Earlier I used to go to play Garba with a couple of family members and friends but now since we cannot do that this year, I do miss the fun. However, I did get a chance to play with the cast and crew members this year when we shot a Navratri episode in Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega. As much as the dance fervour excites me, this festival brings a spirit of positivity within me. This year I will be celebrating Navratri on a rather lowkey note with my family and close friends. Its inspiring to see how people have not lost their enthusiasm about the festival despite the pandemic that is hovering us. Everyone is prepping to celebrate in their own little ways and keeping the festive spirit up. I look forward to the festive period and wish everyone a happy and safe Navratri”
Karan Jotwani who plays the character of Neel from Qurbaan Hua mentioned,”I am sure every city has its own charm during the festivals and Mumbai is no exception. The city which never sleeps suddenly becomes all the more vibrant and colourful. Though this year it might not be the same, but I’m glad that as a country we have not lost our enthusiasm and spirit to welcome Maa Durga. As a matter of fact, festivals are nothing but a reason to get together and spread the love. This year I will miss the way this festival brings out the vibrant colours, and enthusiasm amongst people. I’m a huge fan of Garba nights, but since we cannot do that this year, maybe we’ll try and make a Garba Night gathering happen over Zoom. The festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil and we too try and say our goodbyes to all the evil around and inside us by organizing a puja on all the 9 days which despite a pandemic gives me another reason to be thankful for and enjoy this festival.”
Reem Sheikh who plays the character of Kalyani from Tujhse Hai Raabta said,“Navratri has always been a special festival for me and I look forward to it every year with the same excitement. I am usually the one with the festive spirits. The feeling of seeing people in their colourful attire, and dancing away revelling in the spirit of the festivity gives me immense joy. It’s sad that none of us would be able to enjoy Navratri in all its grandeur and glory this year, but I’m still looking forward to these 9 days of festivities. While a lot of celebrations don’t happen at my home, we manage to create the festive spirit on the set of Tujhse Hai Raabta with the entire cast gleaming in joy Mumbai goes big on its Navratri festivities every year and while this year will be quite different, I am really excited to experience the fun and frolic as much as I can.”
Tannaz Irani who plays the character of Maharani Rajeshwari Singh Rawat from Apna Time BhiAayegashared,“Navratri has always been a joyous festival celebrated within my family and we do celebrate it as a family together in all its glory with special food prepared on all the 9 days. I’m a huge fan of the Garba Nights and I’m definitely going to miss all the dancing with friends and family. However, this year as a country we’ll have to tone down things a bit by not falling under the pressure to buy new clothes or accessories while also maintaining the excitement and enthusiasm. This year, I hope as a country we can keep the celebrations of the festivities intimate and warm with tons of good food and great conversations. Considering we have just gone through a pandemic and are still unsure about jobs and finances, I believe it would be best to keep the celebrations low key but not our happiness.”
Nikki Sharma who plays the character ofKalindi from Brahmarakshas 2 said,“Until last year I celebrated Navaratri in this beautiful ashram up in the mountains in Ranikhet. The celebrations are quite different there as compared to the celebrations in Mumbai. My favourite part of the celebration was the elaborate evening Aarti. There’s a Bhandara at the Ashram and we only have one meal a day during those 9 days of festivities. The vibe and the spirit of the place is very pious and calming. We play Garba there itself and dance to the Bhajans. Though I am not good at playing Garba, but I simply love looking at people who dress up for the event, especially in Mumbai. I look forward to recreating the festive vibe if not the exact scenario with my family and the Brahmarakshas 2 team Since I believe these 9 days to be very pious and I’m also going to be fasting and shall pray for everyone’s good health.”
Savi Thakur who plays the character of Agastya Birla from GuddanTumse Na Ho Payega mentioned,“I absolutely love celebrating the Navratri festival and despite things being different this year I managed to get a chance to play a little Garba and dandiya while we shot for Navratriscenes in GuddanTumse Na Ho Payega. However, there is one thing that I’ll missdoing during the time of these festivities and that is, fasting which I follow as a ritual every year. It kind off doubles up and helps me maintain my physique as well. This is the one thing that I would be doing differently this year since right now having a strong immunity is crucial and cannot let that go for a toss. Dussehra is another part of the festival that I’ll dearly miss. As a child going to watch the RavanDahan ritual has always been my most favourite part of the festivities. I urge everyone to stay safe and wish them a very happy and prosperous season of festivities.”
Pooja Banerjee who plays the role of Rhea in Zee TV’s Kumkum Bhagya revealed, “I am actually upset that I will not be able to celebrate Durga Pooja and Navratri this year. I have been celebrating both these festivals since I was kid, so I feel something will be missing this year. In fact, I used to meet my family during the festivities too, however because of the pandemic it won’t be possible. So, I’ll miss meeting my family members this year as well as my mother’s bhog and the festive treats. We also organise our own Durga Pooja in our house in Delhi, however, I won’t be able to attend it. But we do plan to have a virtual pooja and I’ll be attending it online. I will also maybe celebrate Navratri with my Kumkum Bhagya co-stars on the set, however, I will miss the actual fun and frolic of the festivals.”
Jyoti Sharma who plays the role of Dulari in Zee TV’s new show Ram PyaareSirfHumare shared,“I absolutely love the festival of Navratri, I usually play Garbaevery year with my friends, but unfortunately this year I won’t be able to. The celebrationsand way of enjoying the festival this time would be quite different, which is exactly what we need as a country at the moment. While I would love to go out during Navratri and engage in different social activities, I understand how extremely volatile and vulnerable the situation is this year and I know it’s important for all of us to take care of each other during this pandemic.While we plan to keep the festive spirit alive by celebrating with our extended family on the sets of Ram PyaareSirfHumare, I believe we can all enjoy the festival by being at home and praying to Goddess Durga that this situation passes and we can soon get back to enjoying Navratri like we used to before.”
Pratibha Ranta who plays the character of Chahat from Qurbaan Hua mentioned, “In North, we celebrate Navratri with great fervour. There is a popular custom called KanyaPoojan that used to be performed on the occasion of Navratri and we used to frequently witness it back when I was staying in Shimla. We used to return from that custom with lot of chocolates and sweets to gorge on, I think that Is the fondest memory of this festival. I also remember visiting a bhandaraon Navratri that served the most delicious food and we would often stop by that place on our way home only to relish those food items. I experienced my first Garba session last year in Mumbai which I foundvery different and quite fascinatinginfact. While I would be busy shooting for Qurbaan Hua during Navratri this year, I look forward to reliving the old memories of all my happy places and reviving positive vibes within me.”
Juhi Parmar who plays the role of Renuka in Zee TV’s Hamariwali Good News reveals, “Navratri is a beautiful festival and when we think of the festival, our first memory is usually of Garba and Dandiya. While it is a festival which calls for such beautiful music and dance, we need to also know the real story behind Navratri too. I’ve narrated the whole story of Shakti Maa and Mahishasur to my daughter Samairra and I’ve also explained to her the reason why people fast, but I feel not everyone knows about it. Hence, I feel this year, with the pandemic still around, we have time to introspect the actual importance of Navratri. I guess I will be celebrating it with my co-stars on the Hamariwali Good News set, however, I will make sure to worship Shakti Maa as always. I only pray that the pandemic gets over soon and I wish everyone across the world a very Happy Navratri.”
Dheeraj Dhoopar who plays the role of Karan Luthra in Zee TV’s Kundali Bhagya reveals, “I was introduced to Dandiya nights in Mumbai only a few years back, and I’ve been a fan ever since. My fondest memory has to be the first time that I got to experience the Garba night. I remember I went with some of my friends and we had a lot of fun. I was mesmerised and stunned by grandeur of it all. This year, I feel we all should keep the festive celebrations low-key. While I’ll be shooting during Navratri, I’d still be celebrating with my family in a low-key fashion.”
Abhishek Kapur who plays the role of Sameer Luthra in Zee TV’s Kundali Bhagya reveals, “I love going for events during Navratri but this time around due to the pandemic every festival has to be celebrated in a low-key fashion. I hope we’re still able to retain the happy vibes, the fun and frolic, and all the dance intact from the comfort of our homes, since going out in large gatherings is not an option this year for the safety of all. I wish a Happy Navratri to all. Jai Mata Di!”
Srishti Jain who plays the role of Navya in Zee TV’s Hamariwali Good News revealed,“I enjoy playing Garbaduring Navratri! In fact, I love festivals and I try to keep up with its spirit, like during Navratri the 9 different colours for each day I do follow that. While shooting we usually celebrate most festivals on set, so we’ve all planned to wear the nine colours to stay in the festive mood this year on the set of Hamariwali Good News. Due to the pandemic, we won’t be able to go for Garba nights so is shall miss that. I pray to Maa Durga to help humanity come out of this pandemic and wish for the world to heal.”
