Spreading the light of happiness, actors share what they are doing this year and what the festival means to them

Diwali is here and we all have happy faces and feelings because there is something special about this festival. It signifies the victory of good over evil. This festival gives us hope, it gives us positivity to fight back the evil and to start a new beginning. It is the time when the whole family gets together for the festival. We work and pray together and appreciate each other. I also try to avoid holidaying during this festive as I love Indian festivals and I really want my daughter Rianna to understand and learn the same traditional values I have learnt and know-how each festival in India is celebrated with happiness.    

We clean our home, illuminate with sparkling LED lights and oil lamps, decorate our doorways and foyers with beautiful rangolis, exchange gifts and sweets and make a variety of traditional sweets at home. We do Lakshmi puja and lit up our entire house during Diwali, we start lighting diya from Dhanteras and goes on for five days. As a child, I was never fond of firecrackers, in fact, I was scared. I was more inclined towards the lighting, sweets, meet my colony friends.

Green Diwali is a great initiative and we should be mindful of other human beings and animals. With the bursting of firecrackers, the pollution in the country is rising to dangerous levels causing discomfort to the elderly people, children and pets. Number of asthma cases increase with the pollution every year. Let’s come together and do a bit for the society.

It’s our basic and most important faithfulness to understand the importance and essence of the traditional Diwali celebration. So let’s take some steps ahead to make this Diwali an eco-friendly one, celebrate with eco-friendly diyas, light up someone’s life, buy new clothes and gifts for underprivileged kids and bring a smile on their faces, Ditch the crackers and take a step towards better health and better future.            

— Isha Koppikar, Actor

Green Diwali is a great concept for sure. I am not against firing crackers but we also need to understand the need of the hour. Pollution is killing us slowly and we don’t even realise this. So green Diwali definitely will help us to keep our environment clean.

Every year I celebrate Diwali by distributing sweets and food among those who need it. I also make sure I visit the Gurudwara or temple to pray and thank god for everything that I have today.

Definition of Diwali has changed over the years for me. As a child Diwali always meant sweets, firecrackers and holidays which I never got though but only desired because  of bad financial situation but  now for me Diwali is letting see others happy. I never lighten up my house with lights but instead I buy some hand made diyas for my house

I never bargain on Diwali not at all because hamari Diwali ki kharidari kisi ki Diwali ban sakti hai.”  

 — Balraj, Comedian

Diwali means happiness for me and a reason to spend some quality time with my entire family. It’s time for me to forget about fitness and start gorging on all kind of sweets

Every year, I like to celebrate Diwali with my family, it’s a norm for me. We make sure that our home is decorated with lights and flowers, with all kind of sweets in our living room for us and our guests

Green Diwali is a brilliant concept, I have been following green Diwali from the last five years and it’s hightime we accept and execute it for our better present and future.

— Appurv Gupta, Stand-up Comedian

Diwali to me means happiness and love. I meet my whole  family on this occasion and it gives me a lot of positivity. I take blessings from my elders and we have a gala time together. Not to forget instead of bursting crackers we light up diyas and make rangolis.

It’s high time that all of us need to make efforts for the  sustainability of our planet.

The entire Kocchar family celebrates eco-friendly Diwali as the festival is all about warmth, affection, and smiles.

— Samir Kochchar

I  truly believe Diwali is about the spirit of togetherness and lighting each other’s lives. It brings the perfect occasion to get together with my family and close friends. The Chhabra clan is extremely enthusiastic about the festival and preparations begin weeks before the big night. I have a sweet tooth hence I look forward to gorging on them and delicacies that my mom prepares.

I am celebrating this Diwali with the dogs and cats that we foster. It’s an especially hard time for animals and I will spend my time comforting them. I will spend an environment and animal friendly Diwali. Crackers and smoke are a big ‘no’ for me!

Diwali is the festival of light and also triumph of good over evil. We should definitely light up our homes and celebrate it but we must be considerate towards Mother Nature in doing so.  We steer clear of crackers or anything that pollutes the environment. So, this Diwali do remember to spread knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair.              

— Sonam Chhabra, Actor

Diwali for me is love, light and good food. Seeing houses and streets lit up all around gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I  look forward to this time of the year.

 I’ll be spending Diwali with my friends. We’ll probably go out for lunch or dinner or binge on Diwali sweets and farsan at a friend’s place.

Green Diwali can be more about making the festival more inclusive. Where people from all sections of the society, whether rich or poor, can come together.

It should be more community based so that even the underprivileged get to experience this amazing festival and go back with great memories and a great beginning to a new year..

— Sanah Moidutty, Singer

Diwali is the Festival of Lights. It is that time of the year when we remind ourselves to illuminate the path to our souls. My Diwali will be almost the same as every other day which begins with yoga in the morning and meditation in the evening, and the family will hold a small pooja at home.

I believe every day should be a green day. Particularly during Diwali, we could be a little more sensitive since lots of firecrackers are burst which leaves behind a trail of waste and smoke. However, right after Diwali, we should embark upon Swachh Bharat and try to clean up our immediate surroundings as much as we can. We should also try and restrain the use of firecrackers, and maybe just as a token of the festivities light up a couple of sparklers.

— Dalip Tahil, Actor