Happy Holi: Celebrities share their plans for the festival of colours

From bingeing on yummy gujiyas to throwing colours on each other, celebrities share their best Holi memories, as well as plans for this year. 

Prasad Barve
Holi always brings a festive mood, marking the beginning of the festive season and the onset of summer. It's a vibrant celebration filled with colors and joy. Today's children are quite advanced; they're taught in school about the importance of conserving water and playing eco-friendly Holi, and they adhere to these principles. Personally, I enjoy indulging in puranpolis with desi ghee and milk, considering it the ultimate treat. One particular memory stands out from my childhood: when I was 8 years old, lots of puranpolis were made at our home and my grandfather passed away that day. Despite the sorrow, our dadi instructed us not to waste a single bite, and we honored her wish. Although she belonged to an earlier era, her values remain timeless. As we approach the season's inaugural festival, it holds a special place in our hearts. I urge everyone to use water wisely.

Nikhil Nanda
Holi is a festival of love and god saving his disciple by the incarceration of a half lion half man.  It serves as a reminder of the power of faith and the protection offered by the divine. Moreover, Holi is a time when people come together, setting aside differences and grievances, to rejoice in each other's company. It symbolizes the unity and harmony that can prevail despite any divisions or conflicts. During Holi, individuals from all walks of life gather to celebrate, spreading joy and laughter as they renew bonds of friendship and family. In essence, Holi is not merely a festival of colors and festivities; it is a celebration of love, faith, unity, and the eternal triumph of good over evil. It inspires us to embrace one another, regardless of our differences, and to cherish the connections that bind us as a community.

Namita Lal
I love Holi. Among all the Indian festivals, Holi is my favourite. I'm from Lucknow, and my parents are from Ayodhya and Jaipur, while Ajmer is where my grandparents reside. So, we used to celebrate Holi with music, dance, food, homemade Gujiya, colours, Gulaal, balloons, pichkari, everything. The family would gather with friends from the entire colony, and there would be Dholak, and all of us would sing and dance. That's Holi for me, and I love to have that kind of opportunity. Even now, whether I am in Singapore or in Madh Island in Raheja's, where I have had the best Holi celebrations for a long time with all the people I've met. And I'm hoping this year I get to celebrate equally well. So, it's my favourite. I love to eat all kinds of food, whether it's chaat or gujiya; I just love to indulge in such food, and I love to play with colours. It's a wonderful thing for me.

Jason Tham
We celebrate Holi purely for the colours, friends, delicious food and a get together because it’s a holiday. Whenever we celebrate at our place, we like to mix it up a little like infusing western cuisine such as scones with jam, avocado chips, pineapple salsa, etc. This year we'll try something new again, still haven’t thought of it.

Gurpreet Singh
I'm really excited about Holi! It's always been a big celebration for me and my family. We'll start in the evening with a small Holi celebration with some traditional rituals and prayers, and then on the next day, like on Holi, we dive into the colourful festivities. Holi is all about spreading joy and happiness. It's a time to come together with loved ones, forget any differences, and just have a great time. Plus, it's a wonderful opportunity to embrace the vibrant colours of spring and enjoy some delicious food. Oh, where do I even start? Holi is a feast for the taste buds. I absolutely love indulging in sweets like gujiya and jalebi, and no Holi celebration is complete without some refreshing thandai. It's all about savouring those festive flavours. Definitely! One Holi that stands out for me is when my entire family got together. We had so much fun playing with colours, chasing each other around, and, of course, enjoying lots of yummy food. It's those simple, joyful moments that make Holi so special.

Anupama Solanki
I get goosebumps when I hear about Holi. It's my all-time favorite festival because I get the chance to eat Gujiya, and that day is my cheat day. For breakfast, we have homemade pakora and samosa with ginger tea, and in the afternoon, we enjoy yummy Gujiya. At night, we binge on puri, kheer, or something Chatpata. I must say, if you want to enjoy Holi, then Mumbai is the best place to celebrate it. You can party at any club during the daytime with water showers, lots of colors, and snacks. During my childhood days, I used to start Holi celebrations two days earlier. My mother and I would start crushing dry fruits for Gujiya. Every shop in our locality would be decorated with lots of colors and water guns. It was an amazing memory. I miss those days because for many years, I didn't celebrate Holi the way I did in my school days. I used to hear the story of the god Narasimha devotee Prahlad sitting in the fire with Holika, and how he was saved from the fire. Also, how Narsimha Dev killed Hirnyakasyhap. It was an amazing story. After that, my belief increased towards our Hindu gods. That's why Holi always excites me, and I'm eagerly waiting for it.

Madirakshi Mundle
I don’t know yet if I am working that day or not! But growing up, it has always been fun. It is a festival that is celebrated all over India with a lot of fervour. I never miss performing the Holi pooja. Then of course the colours and the food; how can I miss any of that? My favourite childhood memory is the one with my friends and family. All of them! Drenching un-suspecting folks, smearing colour on folks, trying to escape. I’ve done it all. Mumbai Holi is more about Holi parties with dhinchak music and friends from the industry. I’ve been to a few. Might attend some if I get the chance.

Sonal Panwar
Holi is amazing , and my most Favourite festival for sure after Diwali, we keep planning for so long how we are going to dance and play with Colors. My plans depend on my shooting schedule, if I have an extra day off I go home and play there , otherwise In Mumbai we go out with friends. Food if in Mumbai then I eat of course Mumbai street special, and if I’m in delhi then there’s a buffet, full of sweets, especially gujiya. And then chaats and everything. The one where I almost got painted in black colour all over because before that my younger brother got painted pink by the herbal gulal. But he just took that blue colour , and I almost had to wait for a week to remove it, but we were children so ya it’s funny. Also we used to go on the terrace and wait for everyone to pass by the street, we made sure no one went without a water balloon.

Yashashri Masurkar
I like to play with dry colours. I have no specific plans this year, but you never know! All our festivals are about victory over evil, but,for me, Holi is about the absolute divine relationship Pralhad had with his God. Holi is also about colors, food, and eating too. I love eating puranpoli and sometimes gujiya too . I remember Holi used to be a big thing back then and all my schoolmates used to live in the same area. So one year I played so much with colours that my face had become black, and I decided to visit my best friend to play Holi. He used to stay 10 minutes away. I reached his house, of course, playing with colours on the way. The moment he saw me, he started shouting-bhoot bhoot and everyone in his house started laughing and I didn’t know what to do. His mom gave me soap to clean my face and later we had some food but he never stopped calling me bhoot after that

Saanand Verma
I love playing Holi and savoring the crispy pua with mutton made by my mother. I usually don't eat mutton, but it is on this day of the year that I do. Holi holds a lot of significance because on this day, all differences are forgotten. The fragrance of the colors brings so much positivity and encourages people to come together and celebrate as one.

Nitin Goswami
I celebrate Holi depending on whether I'm shooting or not. If I'm shooting, we celebrate on set; otherwise, we plan to attend events or celebrations in clubs or anywhere else with a group of friends. I love playing with water during Holi, as well as colors. When we were kids, we used to enjoy smearing each other with 'pakka rang' and planning how to outwit each other. After Holi, if the color didn't wash off for two days, we'd make plans to apply 'pakka rang' on each other. Since my dad retired from the CID police force, we used to live in the CID police colony, where there was a tube well. After Holi, we'd all gather there to bathe, and the best part was when we'd mix colorful dye in the tube well water, making it vibrant and fun. I still cherish those memories. I love Holi because it's a festival filled with joy, and I enjoy getting soaked in water and dancing to music. When it comes to food, I don't have many preferences, but I do like sweets like gulab jamun, jalebi with rabri, and malpua with rabri. I try to indulge in something sweet on Holi, and that's how we celebrate.