Play safe, says Neha

Neha Dhupia has no time to breathe or put her feet up even for a day. Why the flurry, you may ask. Well, because it's Diwali next week and Neha doesn't want to spend even one day working during the festive time. After all, her entire family is getting together for the celebrations

Neha Dhupia has no time to breathe or put her feet up even for a day. Why the flurry, you may ask. Well, because it's Diwali next week and Neha doesn't want to spend even one day working during the festive time. After all, her entire family is getting together for the celebrations. So with all her work commitments, Neha squeezes some time out for shopping, dieting, and of course, talking to CS:


Who: Neha Dhupia
What: Talking about her Diwali preparations
Where: At a SoBo hotel

We are family
My brother and I live away from home and so it means a lot to us to get together on Diwali. The festival of light symbolises happiness, and to us that is about spending quality time with family. Also, this Diwali is extra special as my relatives from abroad have come down to spend time with us. The amazing thing is that they've never seen Diwali celebrations before. They keep noticing small, small things and ask me so many questions; things that I now realise we take for granted.

Festive indulgence
Diwali is our equivalent for Christmas. It is the time to eat well. It is the time to focus on desserts more than anything else. And so, I've already gone on a diet and have managed to lose two kilos! That's my mantrau00a0-- stay away from sweets and fatty stuff for a week before Diwali if you want to indulge in the festive period. During those two festive days, my mom cooks Indian sweets for us. I love gorging on halwa, gulab jamun and the homemade jalebis. Simply yummy! Also, the house is flooded with guests and so I love to dress up and draw a rangoli outside the house. I used to work on a stencil, but now I'm good at drawing free-hand rangoli.

A cracker deal
We are not too keen on bursting firecrackers. When I was a kid and my dad and brother would burst some crackers, I'd run and hide under the bed. But growing up has made me more aware about our environment and now I absolutely condemn the use of firecrackers. I understand that it's the festival of lights, but for that you don't need to create noise and air pollution, or create an unsafe environment. You can express your happiness by lighting up diyas, preparing sweets, exchanging gifts and going to parties. Card parties are great fun. And though I don't play that much, I make it a point to attend these functions as it's a really good opportunity to reconnect with friends.

u00a0

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