New Delhi

After month-long festivities, Eid is here and our TV and Bollywood celebrities are all set to get decked up in their best attires and celebrate the day with much pomp and noise. Here’s some of the them talking about how Eid celebrations have changed over the years ever since they became actors and what’s the special thing planned this year. Read on...

Gauahar Khan

Eid is all about celebrating what we’ve achieved during the month of Ramadan with the absence of all bad things and trying to show your resilience through rozas (fasting) — doing the right, speaking the right, thinking the right. It has always been a pious feeling and a sense of achievement. We celebrate with close friends and family at home, have amazing food, wear new clothes and make new wishes and determination. It has always been like this every year. This time, I could only keep 20 rozas since I was travelling back to back. But I’ll be back home in Mumbai for the celebration. There will be lunch and dinner with a bunch of friends and with my mom, sister and my five-months-old Persian cat, Snow, who is the new addition in the family.

Sara Khan

I wait for Eid throughout the year. The occasion brings our near and dear ones under one roof and that makes things all the more special. Earlier in Bhopal, Eid would be mostly spent with my family and friends. But now, after being a part of the industry, it gets a bit difficult to visit my home town every year. Also, I need time in hand if I’m going there because not just my family, but my relatives also expect me to spend time with them and I don’t want to disappoint anyone. This year, since I’m busy in Mumbai, I’ve requested my parents to come over, so we can celebrate Eid together.

Aamir Ali

Eid is the chance for us to catch up with old friends and people from the industry. Like always, the day starts with waking up early morning for prayers, mom cooks amazing sheer khurma and we all feast after prayers and have gala lunch with family and relatives. In the evening, and the next day, we celebrate with friends from the industry. There is a party either at my house or my friend’s house, and celebration continues for a day or two. The only difference is I used to get Eidi (gift) and now I’ve to give one (laughs).

Ali Asgar

Eid is a great time to get together and have a gala feasting with family and friends. We also celebrate by watching bhaijan’s (Salman Khan) film in the theatre, every year. If I’m shooting during Ramzan, it feels so special when the entire set celebrates iftaar and we break our fast, and feast together. Even those who are not fasting, it makes me feel shoulder to shoulder when it comes to giving moral support and taking care of others.

Sana Saeed

Eid has and will always be about family and food. I have very fond memories of celebrating the festival. One thing I always looked forward to is Sheer kurma... I love it. The celebrations have changed over the years owing to my work commitments. This year I’m in Los Angeles and working. I’m not home for Eid. I’m really not sure what I’m going to do but I’ll obviously Skype and FaceTime my family and be with them virtually.

Eijaz Khan

Eid is all about family. My father never imposed Islam on us, he educated us about it. Our Ustaad ji taught us Quran Sharif, we imbibed it in the right sense. All my brothers are married to Brahmins. We celebrate all religions with equal gusto. Eid is an excuse for the family to meet up, spend time together, catch up and make fun of each other. I make it a point to take out time from work to celebrate the day. If I’m working, I understand the producer’s perspective. I have to work, my family understands, taane bhi maarte hain, unka right hai (laughs)! The difference is now I realise that I need to give time to my family. Time is passing by very quickly, I am scared of losing some people.

Sana Khan

Before being part of showbiz, I used to live in a society where I knew everybody in our neighbourhood. I remember my young days, I would get ready by 9 in the morning and along with my friends, I used to visit everybody’s house to get Eidi. And bought whatever we wanted to eat. But now, things have slightly changed. I don’t get to visit anyone’s house that often. It’s just not possible. So, now, I host Eid parties at home for my family and friends, and that’s the plan this year, too.

Iqbal Khan

Nothing has changed in terms of celebrating Eid, there’s a certain kind of Kashmiri culture inculcated in me for a long time. I stick to that. I always try to take a day’s off from work to celebrate Eid. Most production houses I’ve worked with have been accommodating. There could be a telecast issue anytime, but when you’ve given your off dates in advance, it’s not a problem. In childhood, it used to be us bunch of kids from the colony in Srinagar. We would have a competition of Eidi, who will get the most. Every time I’d bump into someone and we’d ask each other, ‘how much have you got?’ Whoever had less, went to his father and say ‘Uska itna ho gaya, mere kam padh gaya’. Maximum we would cross Rs 70. Even after that, us bunch in Srinagar would go to Dal Lake, book a shikara ride, eat ice cream. It was crazy, and more of being together, for that little bit of independence we would get.

Mohammad Nazim

Before coming to Mumbai, I used to stay with my family in Markotla, Punjab, where Eid used to be really exciting. I remember during my school days, I’d get excited thinking that I will be getting new clothes, we’ll be allowed to stay out for long because of Roza. Also, we used to take our friends at our relatives place and accompany them to their relatives, as we’ll all be excited about getting Eidi (gifts). After coming to Mumbai, it has of course changed, but somehow, I manage it by celebrating the occasion with my friends or if I’m shooting, then it’s with people on set. This year, I’m shooting on Eid, so nothing special is planned, though I’ll surely gorge on sheer khurma and biryani. It will be my cheat day.

Sehban Azim

Earlier I had all the time to spend with my family, but now, with work schedules, it has become a little difficult to visit home most of the times. I have to rush back every time because of my shoot commitment. Also, now I have more people to meet when I go back home in Delhi, and lesser time in hand. This time, I’ll be in Delhi with my family and will celebrate Eid along with them. I don’t have much time to make any special plan though. I’d love to go on a vacation with them but it doesn’t seem feasible for this Eid. So, I’ll visit my relatives, since it’s been a while.

Adaa Khan

Eid was always about family and friends. Mom used to make delicacies like sheer kurma and sevaiya. I have many memories of Eid with my late mom. But ever since she passed away, the festival isn’t the same. However, I still celebrate the day with my family and friends, as they always come home. I cook sheer kurma just like mom used to, as she taught me, and that is the only time I cook in a year. I gift everyone who is younger to me. I earn, so I give Eidi to everyone and that’s the only thing that has changed and I miss from my childhood days, as earlier I used to get it.

Compiled by Shreya Mukherjee, Sangeeta Yadav, Rishabh Suri and Juhi Chakraborty

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First Published: Jun 05, 2019 15:56 IST