leading lights

Though the death of some Bollywood stalwarts has cast a shadow on the festival of lights this season, stars share plans for spreading cheer, going green and more, writes Jyothi Venkatesh

Shah Rukh Khan
Any film that is released during Diwali gets a big fillip because of the timing — you get a 10 per cent increase in business. Ra.One could also have come post-exams, as a summer release, but since any film coming around Diwali has an advantage, it’s been timed with this festival. So, if you want your festivities to start on a high note, go see Ra.One, as it’s a happy film.

On Id, we do the namaz and the sacrifice; and on Diwali, we do the puja. The whole household gets together, including the staff, and we get someone to lead us in the puja. I think it’s important that the kids learn the discipline behind such rituals. I believe they will grow up to be a little more secular if we do it all around us. The Moranis are my best friends in Bollywood. They bring crackers for Diwali, as they have a cracker factory. I’m scared of crackers, so I don’t go near them. I just light the phooljhadis, but I look on while they light the fireworks. Aryan and Suhana bring their friends over. They really enjoy the festival. Though I am against polluting the earth with the bursting of the crackers on Diwali year after year, as I am concerned about the ecology, I also believe that fireworks are nice because sulphur goes in the air and kills all the mosquitoes. That’s what Diwali is for!

Madhuri Dixit
Now that my family is in Mumbai, I will make it a point to watch my husband, Dr Nene, and the others light crackers. I am not against the lighting of crackers. Kids enjoy Diwali only by lighting crackers. But, yes, it should be done with caution to ward off any kind of calamity.

I continue to celebrate Diwali the same way I used to spend it when I was not a star. Stardom and motherhood has not made even an iota of difference to me as far as this festival is concerned. Earlier, I used to draw rangolis outside my house in J.B. Nagar, Andheri. Now, I make them inside. In my heyday as a busy actress, I used to do puja in my hotel room if I happened to be shooting abroad. Ten years ago, I had to celebrate Diwali while I was shooting in Manali and missed my family and friends in Mumbai.

My most memorable Diwali was when I had injured myself very badly while trying to light a cracker. Thankfully, I was saved.

Although I celebrate Diwali, my favourite festival is Ganeshotsav. When the Latur earthquake claimed precious human lives many years back, we celebrated Diwali on a low key. In fact, all should contribute some money for underprivileged brethren to bring some light into their lives. I never gamble nor do I like this Diwali practice. How can you gamble and insult Goddess Lakshmi, whom you worship on the Diwali night?

Juhi Chawla
I do not think that spending on crackers and other fireworks is a waste of money because our scriptures say that crackers are fired on Diwali to drive away the evil spirits.

Personally, I am very frightened of crackers and bombs. Rather, I prefer lighting chakhris, anaars and sparklers. I, however, feel that instead of wasting a lot of money on crackers, one should allocate a small amount to help the poor and the needy so that their Diwali also becomes as memorable as ours.

When it comes to celebrating Diwali, I am like any other normal person. I get up early in the morning, have a nice oil bath, wear new clothes and make rangoli. In the evening, we play cards and do Lakshmi Puja. I play only for Rs 100 or Rs 200. I make it a point to visit all my friends on Diwali and also eat a lot of sweets.

Diwali is a festival I look forward to eagerly because it gives me an opportunity to be with my family. Earlier, I used to celebrate Diwali with my parents and brother Bobby. Now I celebrate it with my husband Jai Mehta, son Arjun and daughter Jhanvi. I am not really in a mood to celebrate Diwali this time because my brother Bobby is in a coma in hospital.

Jackie Shroff
This Diwali will be a dark one for tinsel town because of the death of legends like Shammi Kapoor and Jagjit Singh. As for going green is concerned, I think people should not waste hard-earned money on crackers. One should donate the money to deserving causes and help people in distress. I have never been keen on spending on crackers during Diwali. Rather, I have always disliked lighting crackers, as a child I was afraid of them and it is the same case even today.

I celebrate Diwali with my family — wife Ayesha, son Tiger and daughter Krishna. We distribute sweets in the building and generally live it up on this night. I can never forget the Diwali that I had to spend in jail about 30 years ago. I was roaming around the Teen Bathi area and along with my friends I was rounded up by the police and put in lock-up. My parents were so scared of the consequences.

It was indeed a dark Diwali for my family. Now it is different. I like to spend Diwali only with my family but I do make it a point to go and meet my friends. Being good to others on the Festival of Lights is godly. I have always made it a point to donate generously to victims of any kind of calamity, which strikes the nation in the pre-Diwali period, and bring light, hope and cheer to the faces of less fortunate brethren in this world. My message to my fans is to make Diwali less noisy and spread cheer around.

Hrishitaa Bhatt
I am practical when it comes to spending my hard-earned money on crackers during Diwali. I feel that splurging your money on crackers is just a waste. Instead, one can spend it on improving the lot of the beggars and street urchins who do not have the means to get their next meal. Besides, I also feel that as a conscientious citizen one should not endanger the planet and the lives of fellow human beings by adding to the pollution. If you burn crackers and atom bombs, the decibel level automatically increases and there is lot of smoke in the air.

I spend Diwali every year by exchanging sweets in the neighbourhood and worshipping Goddess Lakshmi. I look forward to Diwali because it is that time of the year when you get to wear new clothes. I utilise the opportunity to shop till I drop dead. In the evening, I make it a point to visit all my friends and relatives and exchange pleasantries and gifts.

Aman Verma
As a kid, I was very notorious during Diwali because I used to place crackers in people's pockets or wherever I could lay my hands and quite a lot of times, I was even thrashed by the elders at home for my pranks.

Though I did not realise the harm that I was causing at that point of time to the environment, now, as an adult, I am responsible enough not to not think of squandering my hard-earned money on atom bombs and crackers and phuljadis. And besides ensuring that I do not pollute the environment, I also take care to see to it that I use my money for the welfare activities of orphans. I would not like to divulge the names of the organisations, since that is not my aim for doing any charity.

I would suggest that every one distribute sweets to the less privileged people this Diwali, splurge less on crackers and instead use the money for benefitting the have-nots of society. This is the least that I can do to repay society, which has made me whoever I am.

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