Kal Ho Naa Ho and Bhootnath, actor Delnaaz Irani, who has been part of shows like Kabhie Kabhie Ittefaq Se, Yes Boss, and Shararat, is excited to celebrate Navratri. Talking about how she resonates with the festival, she said, “It is always going to be good over evil, so that is very symbolic, and that is what I always believe in, not only during Navratri, but that’s my mantra in life. I always believe in positive thoughts, positive words, and positive deeds.”
“There are a lot of times that I have told myself that forgiving is very important, so even if a person has hurt me a lot in life, I feel it’s just a partial phase of life where somebody scored more brownie points than me professionally or personally, but eventually I know in my heart that my conscience is clear and I have not done anything wrong,” she added.
Though Delnaaz doesn’t have a specific way to celebrate Navratri, she indulges in enjoying the festivities with her friends and neighbours. She said, “Ever since I’ve come to this complex Shravasti, they have a grand celebration here itself, and we do take part in all the celebrations that happen. There’s a fun fair one day, there’s some competition for children, there is a garba night, and there is a mata ki chowki, so we take part and we celebrate with all our neighbors and friends. That’s been our Navratri routine since the past few years.”
She feels that more than participating in the festivities, it’s being there with the people and relishing each moment. She said, “I usually go for these events in the evening, once I am back from a work schedule or a shoot, but I guess more than participating, it’s just being there with people. It’s just enjoying that moment. And even if it’s for an hour, I do make it a point to go because I feel that the connection has to be there.”
“And I feel very happy around people during Navratri because there’s so much color, there’s so much vibrancy, and there is so much light. It’s all so festive. It feels really good after a hard working day. It feels really nice and blissful,” she added. Delnaaz also mentioned it’s not just Navratri, but all the festivals promote harmony and a feeling of bonhomie.
“I think festivals like Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, and others—no matter which religion or community you belong to—are times when people come together, interact, enjoy, and forget any disagreements or conflicts they may have had with someone. I feel these festivals symbolize forgetting, forgiving, and uniting under one roof to simply enjoy life. And that’s what life is about—because life is too short, and forgiveness plays a huge role in it. When you forgive, you become a better soul,” she added.
