“I Had Never Celebrated Chhath Puja Before; Experiencing It for the First Time in ‘Yeh Prem Mol Liya’ Was Special”: Ayushmann Khurrana!
Ahead of the main Chhath Puja festivities, the actor reflects on shooting the devotional track ‘Bulaye Chhathi Maa’ for Sooraj Barjatya’s family entertainer, co-starring Sharvari.
With the four-day Chhath Puja festivities commencing today across India, Ayushmann Khurrana celebrates the spirit of the revered festival through the special devotional track Bulaye Chhathi Maa from Sooraj Barjatya’s upcoming film Yeh Prem Mol Liya, co-starring Sharvari. Composed by Himesh Reshammiya with lyrics by Manoj Muntashir and vocals by Shreya Ghoshal and Keshav Anand, the song captures the faith, gratitude, and sacred traditions of Chhath Puja—a festival observed with immense devotion across Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, as well as by vibrant communities in Delhi, Mumbai, West Bengal, Odisha, and beyond.
For Ayushmann, the track holds deep personal significance, as filming it offered him his first-ever opportunity to experience the rituals of Chhath Puja firsthand. Coming from a Punjabi household, the actor had never celebrated the festival previously and found participating in its customs on set both eye-opening and deeply moving.
Looking back on the shoot, Ayushmann Khurrana shared, “As a Punjabi, I had never celebrated Chhath Puja before, so experiencing the festival for the first time was special for me. What stood out to me was the emotion and significance attached to Chhath and how beautifully it brings people together. Every ritual has its own meaning, with so much faith and devotion behind it. For me, it was much more than just shooting a song; I got to be part of a beautiful tradition that was completely new to me.”
Recalling a particularly poignant behind-the-scenes moment prior to filming the climax sequence, he added, “There was also a very special moment before we shot the Chhath Puja climax sequence. Sooraj ji brought the entire cast together and played the Chhath Puja song for us. It was such an emotional moment that everyone had tears in their eyes. That stayed with all of us and made the sequence even more meaningful. The entire cast was moved by the way Sooraj ji approached the Chhath sequence and the importance he gave to capturing its traditions and sentiments in the most realistic way.”
Yeh Prem Mol Liya marks Ayushmann’s maiden collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya, renowned for bringing Indian family values, cultural heritage, and festive traditions to the big screen. Produced by Rajshri Productions in association with Mahaveer Jain Films, the film is scheduled to release in cinemas on November 27, 2026.
By Keerti Kadam