No Holi celebrations, this year! TV actors share their fondest Holi memories

The festival of colours Holi is here But the COVID19 pandemic did not let people celebrate the festival with the same zeal and vigour last year And this year too will be the same Looking at the rise in the COVID19 cases the government has put restrictions on playing HoliIn an exclusive chat with midday Television celebrities share their fondest memory of the festival and their Holi plans this yearBhanu Uday Goswami Rudrakeel actor Honestly speaking Holi didnt mean much to me while growing up neither while I was a teenager nor in my initial days But everything changed for me the day my son turned two and he understood what Holi was I actually enjoyed Holi this one time in my life just before the lockdown last year where me my wife and my son played Holi and it was actually the most joyous Holi I have ever had in my life To see him my son so happy and so excited about the festival and now I will look forward to Holi purely because I want to see my son and my daughters reaction to itNeha MardaNeha Marda who plays Shubhra in Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti said ldquoHoli is one of the most colorful and beautiful festivals we all look forward to And for me I think it is even more special because it is the only festival where we pay the least attention to how we look We can take out the worst from our wardrobe and wear it like a queen knowing that it is going to get ruined anyway The thing is if you get to spend the day with your loved ones your Holi is anyway sorted I am going to be in Patna this time and will surely be having a gala time with my family since Irsquom not meeting any of my friends during Holi And I would also want all my fans to be at home and request them to keep themselves safe because a dayrsquos celebration is not worth a thousand livesSayantani GhoshSayantani Ghosh who is currently seen in the show Tera Yaar Hoon Main as Daljeet Bagga says The festival of Holi brings fond memories of childhood enjoying my time playing with colourful balloons and water guns Today we celebrate Holi with organic colours and while ensuring preserving our mother nature by saving water As kids we used to take blessing from our elders by touching their feet and applying Gulaal on each others face Holi is the most colourful festival and with a touch of filmy songs it gets even better My favourite Holi sweet is Gujiya The central theme of Holika Dahan and burning away evil and negative thoughts and good winning over evil inspires you This year we will celebrate the festival differently to ensure the safety of everyone around us This year I would like to tell my fans to stay indoors with family and celebrating it with near and dear peopleReem ShaikhReem Shaikh who depicts the role of Kalyani in Tujhse Hain Raabta states ldquoEver since our show Tujhse Hai Raabta started for nearly two years the entire cast played and celebrated Holi together Currently because of track changes and the recent developments itrsquos not possible for all of us to play together and I really miss that This year also Holi will be very low key considering the COVID situation in Mumbai and I will be celebrating it with my near and dear ones But I wish to one day play Holi with all the cast members associated with the show and if not on the set then definitely somewhere else I hope finds a cheerful way to celebrate this festival and wishing everyone a safe HolirdquoAkshita MudgalActress Akshita Mudgal says Holi brings in a lot of happiness and cheer Every Holi I indulge in delicious sweets and samosas and spend quality time with my family and friends This year I will be spending holi on the sets of lsquoIshk Par Zor Nahirsquo and I am equally looking forward to that We may plan a nice pot luck celebration and feast on some delicious food together I wish everyone a very Happy and healthy holiAnup Upadhyay aka Jaldiram Sharma from Jijaji Chhat Parr Koii Hai Holi is one of my favourite festivals spending time with family and friends on this day makes me happy My favourite Holi sweet is Gujiya This year keeping the pandemic in mind I will wish everyone on phone and try to meet fewer people I donrsquot have any plans for this year but will stay connected with my family and friends through video calls Holi is a day to enjoy to our fullest neither we think twice before going out with our coloured faces nor we are worried about how we look and this is the best part of the day During childhood I have played Holi with all my friends in the society we used to live in running on the streets A team of people used to come down on the streets with loud music and dance and I always used to enjoy it very much My best Holi was when my brother from Canada returned home and I along with my friends colored him from tip to toe This year we need to maintain social distancing and just spend time with close family members I urge my fans to not waste water or be part of social gatherings on road Considering the rising cases we should try staying at our homesTannaz IraniTannaz Irani who is seen as Maharani Rajeshwari in Apna Time Bhi Aayega said ldquoIrsquom Parsi but still we celebrate all the festivals be it Christmas Diwali or Holi I still remember this incident it was years back when we were attending a channelrsquos Holi party and there was a pool in which I was literally pushed by my best friend That time I was angry with her because it was so sudden and we were too young but now that I think about it I just canrsquot stop laughing For the past few years Irsquove been spending Holi at our Parsi colony with friends and family because I feel that is much safer Even this year we plan to do the same since our kids are too young and we are being cautious about the increasing COVID cases My only advice to everyone is to play Holi with safe colors but donrsquot forget that the pandemic is still there I urge everyone to be a little careful because safety is the first priority So play smart and happy Holi and all the best wishes from me to all of yourdquoManoj ChandilaManoj Chandila who is currently seen in the show Teri Meri Ikk Jindri as Pappuji said ldquoSo Holi is a festival we all look forward to But this time around the situation is not the same as it was previously So we should consider spending our Holi within the boundaries of our home just to be safe I know it is a little disappointing but for everybodyrsquos safety it is important for us to compromise a little on our enjoyment Even I am missing those days when I used to spend Holi with my friends and family members playing and having scrumptious food but this time Irsquove strictly decided to avoid social gatherings and will be staying at homerdquoRajesh ShringarpurePunyashlok Ahilyabai actor Rajesh Shringarpure says Holi is hands down one of the most fun festivals we celebrate in our country Itrsquos brimmed with colours good food lots of thandai and joy It signifies the triumph of the good over the evil and is celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm Most importantly letrsquos remember to always have the glory of our culture in our celebrations I am personally planning to have a safe and remote holi this time around and spend quiet time with family Wishing everyone a bright and joyful Holi Please donrsquot forget to stay safeChild actor Aditi Jaltare who is playing Ahilyabai Holkar says I have always loved playing Holi but this time it will be a working holi as Irsquoll be shooting for my show lsquoPunyashlok Ahilyabairsquo I am looking forward to spending the day in a safe and fun manner Krish and I have decided to have a Gujiya eating competition and I am sure the rest of the cast and crew will join in Also my mother makes all my favourite dishes on Holi like lsquoPuran Polirsquo and lsquobesan ke ladoorsquo I cannot wait to binge on all the sweets and spend a happy holiIshk Par Zor Nahi actor Param Singh says To me Holi signifies celebrating and welcoming the year ahead with a lot of hope in my heart Itrsquos the time of the year when I enjoy gorging on festive sweets like gujiya For me every day is a celebration with the cast of Ishk Par Zor Nahi and I am glad to have them aroundhellip and Holi will be no different Personally I always propagate dry holi with organic colors and no water wastagehellip but this time around I would urge people to celebrate virtual holi with their loved ones from the safety of their homes