Shabana Azmi On Missing Diwali  In Mumbai  Again

Shabana  Azmi is,in her  words, “gutted” to miss Diwali again in Mumbai.

 Says  the iconic actress, “I’m in Budapest shooting for Steven Spielberg’s HALO Season Two. Last here I was here as well shooting for Season One. I am gutted to miss two Diwalis in a row back home.

  Diwali and  Eid have always  been celebrated at the Azmis’ without equal enthusiasm. “That’s Abba(father  Kaifi Azmi)’s legacy. Eid and Diwali are celebrated in exactly  the same   way, with the  equal gusto,in our home. Diwali is such a happy festival that we have celebrated over the years , a tradition started by my father(poet-thinker Kaifi Azmi)  since we were kids. I love the lighting of dias, the marigold flowers  and the dressing up.”

    The  key to deriving  optimum  joy from  the festive  occasion is  to do everything  yourself. Says  Shabana, “ We do all the arrangements  for the Diwali  get-together  ourselves without any events manager stepping in to show us  what we should  do.It’s family time .So  the  right thing to do it is to  spotlight  the  personal touch. My cousins used to come in from Hyderabad .Now their kids come and the tradition continues.”

So is it always a big  Diwali for Shabana  and Javed? “Sometimes it’s a big bash sometimes just  family and close friends . Cards are played at very low stakes but the shouting when somebody gets trumps can bring the roof down !”

Shabana warns  against the  use  of firecrackers. “There is a growing awareness in society that firecrackers lead to pollution and children themselves are rallying against them which is a good thing. There is an NGO that makes crackers that turn into flowers .Those are the ones we all should  light . It is very very important that we take utmost care in minimising pollution and celebrate festivals in a sustainable manner.”