They say Diwali is a festival to celebrate the goodness in you and the move that evil in you or others
Saiee Manjrekar joins us for Diwali our Diwali special which is celebrating Diwali at PINKVILLA.
When we speak about Diwali, How would you define Diwali,
like Diwali is a festival, What does it mean or stand in your life?
stands for you in you're life? for me it just means family because you know normally you don't get to see family much but
especially like with festival like these, like Diwali and like big festivals
like Navratri which just happened, you kind of get in touch with your family
Which is, which happens very rarely and it just feels so nice,
like I remember spending my childhood, everyday, like every single day in Diwali for 10 days.
We used to build a castle, we use to build a fort.
In my Mama's house in the ground floor, we use to take like mud and build a fort and all of us cousin
and then in the end of the day we would break it and build a new one in the next day.
I think that's one of my most beautiful Diwali memories.
Any other Diwali memory that you're remined of every year like which you really want to do but maybe you don't have time to do it ?
So I remember I don't burst crackers anymore but when we were kids, we used to really liked doing that
even though we weren't suppose to, people don't burst crackers please whoever is watching this.
But I don't do anymore, but when I was very little we used to love burning crackers
So we used to go to, I forgot what's called, there is this area where there were lot of stores selling crackers.
So we would go there and we would buy and bulk like different
Pink phulajhadee, Green phulajhadi, like whatever different different things
and that used to be a ritual every year, dad use to take all the kids and we use go there
and the most fun part about going there was not buying the firecrackers, it was more about
drinking the Jeera Soda they had there, they use to have this Jeera Soda bottles, this one store we use to go to
The owner he had these Jeera Soda bottles.
And we use to get like dozens of those home when went to the firecracker store
and my brother has this trick, which I think lot of college kids and lot of people can do,
which is open bottles with their teeth.
so he use to handle all the bottle openers, everytime I wanted a Jeera Soda, I had to go to him, so he could open it for me
Do you do that even now? Do you love the Jeera Soda or you're not allow to have it?
that is also there but I still love the Jeera Soda but I never had the same one again since I stop going there
I don't know where to get that one, I forgot what it's called also.
It was this glass bottle and it was yum.
You know Diwali in Manjrekar house must be different from Diwali else where
like how do you guys as a family celebrate Diwali every year? Is there any ritual that you follow ?
Are there days that are demarcated for certain Pooja, certain festivities?
So when it's Choti Diwali there is a, every year there is a Pooja at home, which my mom is very particular about, she is like everyone has to be there for the Pooja,
everyone has to be vegetarian on that day, everyone has to be well dressed on that day
so I feel like, now it's all ingrained in us, we have, we'll do it, she doesn't have to tell us anymore and
My most not favourite part, I literally don't like it, I hope my mom is not watching this
but you know Ubtan, my use to put Ubtan on all of us, like my cousins, my brother, sister everyone
Diwali day, morning first thing , this Ubtan use to go on all of our bodies and then it use to come
actually it use to come out looking much better and like glow and it used to really glow but
I used to hate it because every single morning she wake us up at 6
and when we were kids Diwali vacation school, no one used to wake up at 6
like 10 days we have vacation we'll wake up at 2, 3, 4 whatever time
but she used to wake up at 6 in the morning to apply Ubtan on us
and then we use to go for shower and she used to put curd and all like there was a lot behind that actually
we do that and we do so many things, we hang lanterns up together, we love doing that so,
We use to go shopping to Dadar market every year to see which Lantern we want for that year and then we use to buy matching tiny one's
and I think that was the most fun, Diwali is most fun festival.
For Diwali my mom makes this,
raw banana,
bhajiya out of that
I know it sounds little weird but it's the yummiest thing ever.
Desserts, she makes Gajar Ka Halwa, Dudhi Ka Halwa, Coconut Barfi, there is this coconut
okay so my Nani use to make this Coconut Ginger Barfi which was the yummiest thing ever,
and I've been asking my mom to re-create it for the long time and she hasn't been able to do it because
My Nani use to make it like really really well.
and Gulab Jamun, so when I was a kid I use to make Gulab Jamun with my Nani for Diwali
So we use to sit and fry like little little Gulab Jamuns
and she used to get angry at me because I used to eat them before she put them in the sugar syrup.
Dad is responsible for Bhai Dooj
He gets the whole family together and then we like exchange presents and there's lot of fun happening on that day
and the kids are responsible for making Rangoli every morning.
Which we're so lazy that we go and get those Rangoli makers, we use to put and put the powder on top and then you do that and it comes
stencils, we use that, stencils we use those
We're all lazy.
This year you will not be spending Diwali with your family because you're busy shooting.
So do you miss them? and also are you happy that you know after Dabangg 3, you're coming up with a film which is Major
How has the shoot been? because shooting during this time during the Pandemic
So how has it been ?
I'm going to miss my family so much for Diwali, even my mom's here with me
so even like the fact that she is not going to be home for Diwali is very unsettling.
But with everything happening this year ,
I don't think Diwali was going to be like it was last year or it was before that.
But shooting as you say during this has been a little bit like
stressful in the sense ,that it's same everything is same, it's so much fun, I love doing it
but in back of your head you're always thinking you know you don't touch this, sanistize your hands,
be careful, don't go close to someone, like in your back of your head it's always playing
so I think that's only change for me that in the back of my mind I am like okay be careful,
whatever otherwise I am very bold person, I will go give anyone a high five, to anything but this time
I was like be careful
Thank you for this lovely conversation, it was lovely having you for our Diwali special.
And I hope, I wish you and your entire family,
A very Happy and safe Diwali.
Thank you so much. You too and I hope to see you very soon once this is over.