As Durga Puja approaches, Bengali actors reflect on their cherished traditions, family gatherings, plans this year, and what the festival means to them in this vibrant season of joy and devotion.
1. Tina Dutta
Durga Puja is everything to me. We exchange gifts just like we do in Diwali. We give clothes and new things to each other. We do Puja at home and clean our homes and offer lotus to Maa Durga, and light diyas and candles. I go to Rani’s (Mukherji) Durga puja every year and enjoy going there. Mom is here in town so I will go to Pandal hoping with her. But nothing beats the Kolkata Durga Puja, the themes, the Pandal and everything, I am going to miss all of that. It’s like a food festival. Basanti Pulao, Fish curry, Mutton Kisha and all these things I love. There are many stalls near pandals so I have puchkas, egg rolls and chicken rolls so I am going to have all that. I do attend Ashtomi Pujo and Dhunuchi Nach and enjoy that.
2. Debina Bonnerjee
Durga Puja is our main festival. It’s just memories now. We used to wear new clothes and to eat nonstop. Roaming around the whole night with friends and no restrictions, but right now Durga Puja is nostalgia as I don’t get to enjoy it like a kid now. I am planning to visit Rani Mukherji’s Durga Pujo. One that we always visit is Vijit’s Pujo because that’s most nearby. It’s crowded, but I still love to walk through the crowd and get space in front of Durga Thakur looking at her and seeing how beautiful and lively the eyes of Durga maa are. I will surely eat the Jhalmuri inside some Pandal, it’s my favourite.
Also Read: Raima Sen: Durga Puja is a celebration of womanhood
3. Namit Das
My father is hardcore Bengali but my mum is a Punjabi, so I have been born and brought up in a mixed culture. I was well versed with Navratri in terms of Dandiya as I have been a Bombay guy. When my mom took me to the pandal, I found out that this is the Bengali way of doing things during this time. It’s food for me on Durga Puja. Pandal hopping for me is doing darshan quickly and binging on different foods, including Mishti doi, Jhalmuri, and many other foods. It’s my way of going to the roots and experiencing my Bengali side. One of the best parts of this is also socialising and meeting the people in your community. You just feel like getting out there and celebrate during these nine holy days. I go to one Pandal in Lokhandwala and one in Juhu, which will happen this year too.
4. Rohit Roy
Durga Puja to me means a season of great hope and new beginnings. It is exciting to meet all my Bengali friends and break bread with them. There are a few traditions we have been following for many years. The entire family goes for pujo and we also do bhog prashad at our local Durga Puja mandal. It makes you feel a part of the celebration. I buy new clothes every year and that will happen this year too. We usually try and stick to our own pandal. We used to do a lot of pandal hopping in the earlier years but that has slowed down now, I’d rather spend time with Maa at one pandal. Besides that, who doesn’t want to have the mutton and fish chop? I also make sure to eat the bhog parshad there.
5. Sreejita De
Durga puja is the biggest festival. As kids, we used to wait for this occasion the whole year. We used to get lots of new clothes and good food. I still start shopping a month before. I love the Dhunuchi dance on the beats of Dhak, I go for that every year on Ashtmi and will go this year too. I plan to go on different pandals as everyone has their own way of doing it. I will go to Lokhandwala, Rani’s pandal, and Pawai. All of them are beautiful, because it’s all about art. I love eating puchka and fish cutlets there, it’s a tradition to eat that. Not to mention, I love wearing traditional clothes during Durga puja, especially Kolkata sarees.