TV stars wish Happy Dussehra

In an atmosphere of graft and pessimism, we all need a reason to smile. And luckily we Indians have various festivals which allow us to forget our worries and have a good time. Today (24 October 2012) is Dussehra, one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar. Tellychakkar.com spoke to some of your favourite TV actors on what they feel about this great day when Lord Ram killed the demon king Ravan. Gurmeet Choudhary said, “Vijaya Dashami is indicative of good winning over evil. There is so much festivity and celebration all around. Since childhood we have seen Ram Leela, enjoyed watching it and heard many stories about Ram and Sita. Therefore, when I got the role to play Ram (NDTV Imagine’s Ramayan), it was a dream come true.” Kinshuk Mahajan (Afsar Bitiya), who hails from Delhi added, “Back home we have Ram Leelas in every maidan, however this fervor is absent in Mumbai. I guess the city of dreams either does not have enough grounds or people don’t have time.” On the flip side, Kinshuk could not understand the Mumbai tradition of putting flowers on vehicles. Moving on, Manasi Salvi (Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara) explained that, “Certain communities worship metal. Hence, marigold flowers are decorated on our cars. In fact, we worship all the metal tools which help us earn our livelihood. No wonder on Dussehra all TV units, cameras and other equipment are seen covered with flowers as well.” Manasi further added, “We also buy gold (precious metal) on Dussehra as it is considered auspicious. Other castes do it on Dhanteras. I am looking forward to yellow metal shopping while my husband is dreading (laughs).” Just how vibrant our Indian culture is can be gazed from the different ways varied communities celebrate the same festival. Neha K Mehta of (Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah opined, “For us Gujaratis… Dussehra is marked by pooja. Many of us who fast for all the nine days during Navratri look forward to the tenth day of the pooja, as we get to gorge on our favorite jalebi, fafda and other goodies.” Coming to the essence behind the celebration, Samir Soni ((Parichay() averred, “I don’t pay too much attention to the religious significance of the festival, rather I use it as an opportunity to meet family and friends. We are so busy in our lives that we don’t get time to meet them otherwise.” Most actors agree that all festivals have become commercial. But Neha said, “Who are we to comment on what others do? Many people benefit from this commercialization.” Soumya Seth (Navya() represents the younger generation for whom festivals mean more of having a good time. “We get a chance to wear ethnic clothes which we never wear during our daily lives.” We then asked the actors about what they feel about the battle between good vs evil and has bad won in today’s time? Samir went on to say, “While I agree competition has brought out the worst in people, yet all is not lost. There is always a silver lining somewhere e.g . in the face of so much corruption have we not found a crusader in Anna Hazare? Kinshuk did not want to comment on the world, but said, “I have one funda in life that if you do well… then nobody will harm you.” In closing, Gurmeet said, “I believe that we must enlighten our next generations about our culture and heritage. It teaches us so much and is really good for personality development. Ram is all about holding on to your inner strengths, keeping patience in the most adverse of situations. All this is explained so beautifully through Ramayan and Ram Leela. In fact… I am in favor of holding traditional Ram Leela in each and every city, the way it used to be i.e. rustic and entertaining.” Tellychakkar.com wishes everyone a very Happy Dussehra!!!