Actor Bhagyashree, who was seen in two films this year, The Great Grand Superhero: Aliens Ka Aagman and Raja Shivaji, makes it a point to be home in time for Diwali, no matter where in the world work takes her. For her, the festival is an occasion to bring the family together and keep traditions alive, even as her children grow up. “Diwali for me is family time. No matter where I am in the world, I make sure that I come back for Diwali. On Lakshmi Puja day, the children (Avantika Dassani and Abhimanyu Dassani), our family members and basically everyone comes together for the puja. That is an important aspect of our lives. There were just two years when Avantika was studying abroad, and even then, we would do a FaceTime or video call to make sure she was always present during the puja,” she shares.
One tradition that holds particular significance for the actor is the ritualistic oil bath on Diwali morning, for which preparations begin the previous night. “We soak things like khus khus, badam and methi, and extract coconut milk overnight. In the morning, as a mother, I give the children a maalish using these ingredients, which are good for their skin and hair. We use almond, fenugreek, coconut oil and coconut milk, followed by ubtan. After Ganeshji’s aarti, we perform the children’s aarti and bless them with good health, wisdom, happiness, prosperity and success,” she explains. So, we have become more careful and stick to things that are safer and more controlled, like a phooljhadi, fountain or chakri. It is the Festival of Lights, and gathering around to watch them does feel nice. But with changing times and circumstances, it is important to adapt and also realise the ecological impact of these things,” she signs off. One Bollywood song that gets everyone on the dance floor?
Because of pollution and their impact on animals, while firecrackers were once an integral part of her childhood celebrations, Bhagyashree says her family has become more conscious about their use, particularly. Because of firecrackers, “Both my children are very fond of animals, and they worry about how animals react and how they get hurt.
