tv stars ready for durga pooja

It's that time of the year when all Bengalis, yearn to breathe in the air of Kolkata. The smell of freshly cut flowers, the vibrant colours of flushed cheeks and the sound of gurgling laughter - Kolkata gets all dressed up to welcome its favourite daughter home after a span of a year. Her arrival means vessels brimming with bhog (prasad in the form of khichdi), mothers in shaada shari lal paar (white sari with red border), newly weds splattered with sindoor, loads of sweets and then there is the pushpanjali, the arti, the dhak (drums) -- a city dazzling in the warmth of being alive and kicking!

Kavita Shyam spoke to some of the Bengalis in tellydom and asked them about their memories and plans of celebrating Pujas.

"I have bought five saris for the pujo" - Rupali Ganguli
The nave bahu in Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, Rupali dotes on the ashtami khichudi and the tomato chutney which she can't miss for anything under the sun pandal. "I have bought five saris for the pujo and whenever I go to Kolkata, I am spoilt to death with all the pampering. I'd love it if they treated me as a celeb but it's the case of 'ghar ki murgi dal barabar'," giggles Rupali . And this is where you can catch the Bengali beauty during the festival--She loves to hang aroung with her cousins and her Bong best friend in Shivaji park Puja in Mumbai, especially in the afternoons.

"I get a lot of gifts and money during pujo" - Moulli Ganguli

"Words that come to my mind when I think of Pujo are togetherness, family re-union, nice pandals, food (read bhog) and loads of positivism around. Earlier, I used to go out with friends from one pandal to the other but now the energy, enthusiasm and has died down. In Kolkata, the feel of the festival is in the air but in Mumbai I just go to the Mukherjee's Pujo where I have lots of friends or to Rama Krishna Mission." sighs the Bong beauty .
Moulli plans to go to Kolkata this year for a day or two and makes sure she takes off for a few days for the festival and eats out a lot. Moulli loves to watch shidoor khela but was never allowed to play it, but this year she wants to play it to get the feel of it.
" I am buying clothes throughout the year, so there is no urge to but new clothes and I have enough clothes which I might not have worn otherwise. I get invited for an appearance for Dandia festivals in Kolkata rather than for Durga Puja" says Moulli.

"My mother has been shopping for saris for me in Kolkata" - Komolika Guha
Komolika, the sophisticated bahu from the Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi clan chalks out her date diary and makes it a point to go to Kolkata every year instead of being in Mumbai. "Durga Pujo means bhog ,new clothes, friends and family in Kolkata for me. I am very much involved in our house in Kolkata, with the anjali, cultural events, evening arati and the works. I have heard that the pujas in Mumbai are also well organized but never witnessed it . I am invited for a couple of navratri shows in Kolkata for an appearance,"says the Komolika bhabhi.

Komolika has been shopping for her mother and her three year old daughter (saris and ghagra choli) while her mom has been shopping for her back in Kolkata. Interestingly, Moulli and Komolika are good friends and stay in touch almost every day!

"I have bought Jamdani saris for the pujo"- Moonmoon

Moonmoon, the hard core non-vegetarian, used to walk up to Juhu for visarjan. She misses her folks back in Kolkata and has to celebrate the festival with family in Mumbai due to work. "It's our major festival and we look forward to the pandals, durga idols, lots of Dhakai Jamdani saris, sweets and yummy bhog with the fish cutlets,payesh,sondesh and mughlai parathas at the pandals. I go out with my parents and brother to various pandals for pushpanjali and try to take two days off - ashtami and navami.
"I actively take part in shidoor khela and love to watch and mingle around with my friends. My masi (aunt) had asked me for an appearance at her puja pandal but sadly, as I'd be shooting I'd to refuse." Says the pretty Moonmoon who finished her shopping one month in advance.

"I love sondesh and rosogulla"- Anupam Bhattacharya

The Bengali bhadralok Anupam Bhattacharya prefers to be in Delhi rather than Mumbai as the festival is more lively and fun there . "Power of god is what comes to my mind besides the vibrance that comes into your life when you see the idol. I am in Mumbai this time due to work, so I just catch the bhog and pushpanjali. I love sondesh and rosogulla and wear a kurta pajama on aushtami. I am not called for any appearance in Mumbai as it is full of celebrities but in Delhi, I am called to places where I have been attached to since childhood for an appearance." So don't be surprised if you bump into Juhu, Lokhandwala or the Santa Cruz pandal during pujo this year.

"I think of Maa durga and serve bhog in the afternoons"- Rohit Roy

Rohit Roy, the hunk, seems to have a sweet tooth of sorts and also loves mutton chops, so his gymming goes for a toss while he only thinks of food during the pujas. "Sadly now, I don't have the luxury of taking an off, but I try to finish off early and then join in the celebrations. I go to Abhijit Da's puja and I serve bhog, host their shows and plan to wear dhoti kurta in the afternoons. I am going to Kolkata for an appearance one of the days during pujas and then I'd be back to Mumbai to join in the rest of the celebration."
Catch him with Sharad Kapoor, Abhijit and the rest of the Bong fraternity from the industry which is his extended family.

Mansi Joshi Roy even though she is a Gujrati , she loves the festival immensely and enjoys playing shidoor khela with her in-laws on dashami and is very much a part of Abhijit da's pujo in Lokhandwala.

Smriti Z Irani, the favourite bahu on star plus speaks fluent bengali which has got to do with her mother being a Bengali and she does everything that a bengali does during pujo- from anjali,enjoying the bhog,gorging on kheer kodmbo,mughlai parathas,watching jatra,buying new clothes, to playing shidoor khela .In Delhi she used to make trips in the evening to various pandals with family while in Mumbai she tries to adjust her work with the puja timings with her bong unit members.

The Mukherjee's(Jyoti and Raja)have a massive puja celebration at their place in Juhu unfailingly every year inviting the entire bong fraternity from the entertainment industry and so is the case of Abhijit who celebrates the festival with much fervour at Lokhandwala.

Hope the rains don't break the hearts of the bengalis whose hearts are now beating faster only for Maa Durga....