Diwali is here! TV actors share their plans

Sneha Wagh

I have the same plan every year. I celebrate Diwali with my family every year because Diwali has a lot of importance at our place. As I am a Maharashtrian, there is a lot of 'Faral' (sweets) made at home, chakli, chivda, karanji, besan ke laddu are made. The preparations start 1-2 weeks before. Diwali is celebrated in a very traditional way as even the lanterns are homemade. My dad, mom and all us together make it with cardboard and other things. So, Diwali, as a festival brings a lot of importance in our family. We don't burn crackers as I never liked that.  

Avinash Mishra 

Diwali, for me, is gathering my family and friends and having a good time eating sweets, playing cards having fun and so on. Significance of Diwali is the symbolic victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. This Diwali, I won’t be able to go home as we are shooting on a cut to cut situation. So, this Diwali I will be spending time with my friends here and I’m a big foodie so I will eat a lot too. 

Rehaan Roy

For me, Diwali is a festival of happiness. The best part about Diwali is spending quality time with your whole family and friends. Certainly, I’m going to spend this Diwali with my friends. I would not think at all about my diet these days as it’s all about eating food, especially sweets. I also love to decorate my house with lights and candles. However, I have decided not to burn crackers as that hurts the animals. I have a pet at home and I can truly relate to it. So, I would request all my fans to please avoid burning sound crackers. Instead spread happiness and make this occasion a festival of happiness and prosperity for everyone including the animals.

 Shashank Vyas 

This Diwali, like every year, would be celebrated with my father and friends. I would go out with friends, also catch up on the latest film. I like the festive spirit. Weather is also good and to see the happiness on everyone's face perks me up with joy.  

Rohitashv Gour

Diwali is one of the most important festivals because it signifies the day when Lord Ram came back to Ayodhya after 14 years of Vanvas. The Indians all over the world celebrate it fondly. I don't play cards and there was a time when I used to burn crackers. We used to have a competition about who would bring more crackers. But from the time I started understanding about pollution, I stopped doing it. I will be conscious of my diet during this Diwali. Earlier, it was totally the opposite. I used to eat a lot but now I am a little health conscious. We do Laxmi Poojan at home for bringing in positivity and goodness at home.

Aastha Chaudhary

Diwali is my most favourite festival. I literally wait for Diwali every year because there is so much of happiness everywhere at that point of time. Lord Ram had come from vanvas which was a big thing for all the Hindus. Diwali is a festival which I celebrate with my family. Even if I am working I make sure to take out time for at least a day and be with them. Diwali is always a family affair for me. I help my mom in making sweets, then my brother and I decorate our house with lights and flowers ourselves. We do not play cards at all and I don't even like it. I don't really think about diet during festivals, I eat everything. I am not really fond of sweets but other than that I have everything, all fried food and all.

Dalljiet Kaur 

I was born on Diwali morning so that's why my name is Deepa. I am obviously close to this festival. I love to make a rangoli, decorate my house with candles and diyas and clean up my house. I love inviting my friends over too. Playing cards is not allowed at my place. I have tried playing at my friend's place but I am pathetic at it, so I just help my friends in cheating. I will definitely eat whatever comes my way as it’s my birthday!

Amal Sehrawat

As a kid, Diwali was all about friends, sweets and crackers. Now, Diwali is all about creating beautiful memories for my son that he can cherish as I do. 

This Diwali, for the very first time, I will be trying my hand on rangoli and making gujiyas as a challenge given to me by my family. It’s surely going to be lot of fun. I don’t like playing cards. But I love to see people playing. I will be eating everything but in moderation. Yes, health and looks are very important but so are these festivals.

Mrunal Jain 

Diwali is a festival full of lights and colours. It brings family and friends closer. For me, it’s a festival full of new beginnings. This year as I have work commitments, I would be working on the day of Diwali. We follow the ritual of doing Laxmi Poojan followed by a family dinner. I even go to greet my friends and family. I have a lot of homemade sweets. I follow Jainism, so I don’t believe in the culture of bursting crackers. I do attend card parties at my friends and relative's place, but I don’t play cards as I am not really fond of it. I don’t diet during festivals, I eat what I want to, and workout harder so that it doesn’t affect my body.

Sachin Parikh

Diwali is always a special festival for me like for all of us. I like the colours of various lights and rangolis on this occasion and bright and beautiful decoration all over. I love the fact that in this busy world, I get an opportunity to meet my near and dear ones and celebrate the togetherness with family and friends. Being a Gujarati, the very next day of Diwali is followed by a new year for us so having fun and delicious food with close friends and family is also always most awaited. Dhanteras pooja, Laxmi Pujan and Saraswati pooja are also part of my rituals. Being a foodie and now being diet-conscious, I will definitely avoid sweets and chocolates this Diwali, although it will be very tough. Also, yummy cholafali, mathiya and ghughraas are irresistible but will try and reduce the quantity this time keeping in mind the diet plans. I love playing cards but not during Diwali time.

Vijayendra Kumeria

Diwali, for me, is lots of shopping for myself and family and decorating the house and of course Laxmi pooja. I am going to introduce my daughter to the festival of lights. I even want to keep it eco-friendly too. Diwali is the time when I tend to forget about diet and I enjoy the delicacies prepared for the occasion and yes, our family does play cards, but just for shagun. To be clear, we don’t gamble we just do it as a ritual. 

Arun Mandola 

Diwali is a festival of positive energy and removes all negativity from your Life. This Diwali is going to be very exciting for me because I am going home and celebrating Diwali after 6 years in my hometown. Mumbai is one of the busiest cities in India, I tried celebrating Diwali many times here but I did not get a chance to celebrate it. But finally, I will celebrate Diwali at my home so I am very excited. I don’t play cards but yes, I decorate my house. My family does Lakshmi Poojan and we make sweets and all. I am a little conscious about having sweets during Diwali but not because of diet issues but because these days we do not get good quality sweets in the market, so I eat less during the festival.

 Ashish Trivedi 

Diwali is a festival of lights and happiness. It's a very big festival for all of us, so I make sure I attend this festival anyhow with my family.  All my relatives and friends come over my place. We chill, play cards , eat lots of homemade food and homemade sweets. I love decorating my house with lights and flowers with my mom. We exchange gifts which is the exciting part. I don’t burn crackers because I feel it’s a pure waste of money and it causes so much noise and air pollution which is really hazardous for me, my family and society. Diwali's significance according to me is "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance." Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness. I don’t follow a diet plan when I visit my home during Diwali time but I eat homemade food only. Diwali means cheat days.

Pranitaa Pandit 

Diwali is, of course, the festival of lights which basically means to have lights over darkness, to have more consciousness. For me, it is all about waking up from within and it has a lot of significance in my life because I feel Diwali is the festival where we all try to overcome the evil within us and move towards a new year and a brighter future. I try and wish everyone on Diwali and also tell myself to forgive others and myself if I have hurt people. On Diwali, I am constantly eating. Of course, I play cards and go for Diwali parties. It is a festival where we get together and have a lot of fun. You dress up a lot for various events and parties. So, it’s a great week all together. I really don't diet during Diwali. I do that post the festival. During Diwali, I let myself free and enjoy the festival and have a good time with my friends and family. 

Subuhi Joshi 

Diwali is one of my most favourite festivals. I like the vibrations which we go through during this festival. A lot of people seem to be in celebratory mode, irrespective of caste, status and religion. 

Though this Diwali isn’t going to be the same. I have just lost my father and hence we won’t be celebrating Diwali but yes, I’ll be welcoming goddess Laxmi by lighting urban diyas at my place.

I do play cards, but I guess I’m just not in that zone this year. But yes, I would definitely gulp down some sweets, because your diet takes a back seat during festivals.

Sanjay Gagnani 

Diwali to me is a ray of hope that there will be lights after darkness, there will be laughter, celebrations, positivity and happiness after sadness and lows. Everything will be all right in the end! 

I celebrate Diwali every year with my family. I make sure that I take a leave from shoot for 3 to 4 days and spend time with my family during Diwali. We celebrate the festival by doing Diwali Pooja, we worship the business books, eat sweets and burst eco and animal-friendly crackers.  We play cards and hog a variety of delicacies 

Festivals are meant to be celebrated and so I let loose and hog everything that I’m offered by my family. We play cards and I have a track record of winning the maximum amount of money every Diwali.

Aniruddh Dave

I belong to Pink City where Diwali is celebrated in a big way. All the houses are decorated with lights and even rangoli is made which gives it a very traditional feel. Like in Jaipur, my wife is going to make rangoli and decorate the house with diyas. I am careful about eating hence I eat everything in moderation. If you don't pamper yourself with sweets, then Diwali is incomplete. Everyone should celebrate a cracker-free Diwali.

Vivian Dsena 

Diwali means peace happiness and prosperity. I celebrate Diwali by doing pooja with my family. I don't diet on Diwali, I eat a variety of mithais and in terms of food; Rajhastan's speciality Dal Baati Churma is my favourite. The vibe of the festival makes you feel positive. I believe in a cracker-free Diwali.

Rajesh Kumar

Diwali is more about celebration with family and friends. Post-Diwali, the celebration goes on till chatt in Bihar and UP and now it is celebrated all over India. That festival is bigger than Diwali, it’s actually the continuation of Diwali. This year, I have a plan of celebrating Diwali in Mumbai and then move Patna and celebrate Chatt with my mother. I don't play cards because I don't know how to play and anyway I have been always away from playing cards. I am conscious about my diet and any which ways I am not sweet-lover so that’s not the concern.

Ansh Bagri 

I always get excited for Diwali. I love this festival. If there was a festival for which I used to wait for the whole year, it was always Diwali because I like the lights, wearing new clothes and eating sweets. Every year, my dad used to get new clothes. During our childhood, our neighbours used to get expensive fireworks and I used to just hope every year that maybe next year dad will be able to bring those fireworks for me. But that never happened. I take it in a positive way now, somehow I managed not to pollute the air. Wherever I am and whatever I am doing, I go to Delhi during Diwali to celebrate it with family. I feel the lights in Diwali kill the negativity. I don't really believe on card rituals because I never had such a circle but now if anyone invites me, I might go. But mostly I would just prefer being with my mom and my sister. I cheat on my diet and have some sweets but I make sure that I get all the sweets which my mom and sister like to have. So, when they have their favourite sweets I feel really good.

Arjun Bijlani 

Diwali is an opportunity to spend quality time with your family and friends. It also means doing Laxmi Poojan at home. I celebrate it at home and later may go out with friends. My son Ayaan loves to celebrate Diwali. I also enjoy shopping. I don't diet but I eat carefully.

Ssharad Malhotra 

Diwali means love and celebration. This Diwali is special as this is my first Diwali with my wife Ripci. We are celebrating Diwali in Mumbai itself with friends. I have no plans to diet, I am going to splurge on Bengali sweets especially good Sondesh and Rasgullas. And according to me, during festivals, one shouldn't diet.

Ankit Bathla 

Diwali for me is a festival which you celebrate with family. We do a lot of pooja and worship goddess Laxmi.  For me, it’s the festival where the entire family gets together and you meet all your relatives. This is the time you go and exchange gifts. So, for me, it’s more like a social or a family function. I definitely would try and go back to Delhi and be with them. Immediately after Diwali, there is Bhaiduj which also adds to the whole celebration of Diwali. I would not really care about my diet. The whole zest and the fun about the festival is the food, so I will not have any restrictions on my diet but I would be regular with my exercise.

Mreenal Deshraj 

I like the vibes of Diwali. Everyone wears new clothes and all the shops and malls are decorated. It marks the onset of winters. Diwali means peace, happiness, festivity and eating sugar-free mithai.  I will go to Nagpur or if I’m not going, I’ll attend a few close friends’ Diwali parties here. On Diwali, I do laxmi puja and listen to mantras and bhajjans.

I don’t know how to play cards and don’t intend to learn it as I’m against gambling. I’m always conscious of what I eat but still, I’m sure I’ll eat a lot of sweets everywhere I go and then slog at the gym.

 Amit Sarin 

Diwali means celebration, positivity, friendship and food. I am staying in L. A. and will be celebrating Diwali traditionally with family. I will miss the Diwali of Bombay. I won’t diet on Diwali and will treat myself with Diwali sweets.

Shubhaavi Choksey 

Diwali means too much celebration. I love to decorate my house and every year I try to make it different. This year, I will be decorating with marigold flowers. Normally, we travel during Diwali as it’s our son’s vacation time but this year I am home so I will fill my house with rangoli, diyas and flowers. Lakshmi Pooja is always performed in our house. I don’t play cards as I don’t believe in playing with money. This is something my father has instilled in me since I was a child. But yes, I do enjoy with firecrackers, only a little bit though. I doubt I will go all out with sweets but Diwali ke liye thoda toh banta hai. 

Shridhar Watsar

Diwali brings many memories, during childhood, my dada used to bring new clothes and crackers for us. But now I don't like firecrackers due to the noise and air pollution that they produce. So I avoid crackers. This year I would like to celebrate my Diwali with my Baalveer Returns team and with my family. I don’t diet during Diwali and I love having karanji and ladoos.