MUMBAI: Holi, the festival of colours, symbolises the vivid and colourful spirit and great enthusiasm. People smear colours on each other’s faces and indulge in delicious delicacies and beverages. This year &TV artists intend to play Holi in high spirits and prepare the finest Holi delicacies popular in their hometowns. And what’s more, they reveal these secret recipes to us! These include Neha Joshi (Yashoda) from Doosri Maa, Yogesh Tripathi (Daroga Happu Singh) from Happu ki Ultan Paltan, Shubhangi Atre (Angoori Bhabi) from Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai. Neha Joshi, essaying Yashoda in &TV’s Doosri Maa, says, “Although I am from Maharashtra, this year my festive celebrations will be in the pink city, Jaipur. I truly enjoy the festive vibe even though I don’t particularly enjoy playing with colours. So, I plan to explore the city and witness its festive spirits at their best at the Elephant Festival. The festival is celebrated during Holi, where elephants are dressed in rugs and ornamented with pretty accents and jewels. Their bodies and trunks get painted, and a procession of elephants passes through the streets. A band plays songs and drums to signify the festive mood. Even though I look forward to participating in this unique festival, I will miss my mother, Puran Poli. In Maharashtra, there is a tradition of making puran poli on that day. It is a sweet, fried flatbread stuffed with a filling of yellow gram and sugarcane jaggery. It points to the festival’s agrarian origins as a harvest festival. I love it so much that I can’t resist eating it all day (laughs). I have decided to make it myself this year and serve it to my extended family here. I wish everyone a joyful Holi.”Yogesh Tripathi, essaying Daroga Happu Singh, says, “It is my favourite festival of the year. I am from Uttar Pradesh, where Holi is a two-day festival celebrated with zeal and zest. Apart from playing with colours and throwing water at each other, eating gujiya (sweet) is my favourite thing to do on this day. It is a classic North Indian sweet made of crisp, flaky pastry filled with khoya (milk solids) and nuts. This year I will be preparing gujiya myself. I will also play colours with my wife and kids in our building. During Holi, our society’s swimming pool gets filled with coloured water. I will spend as much time in the pool as possible with my son since he is excited about it. Hamare sabhi darshako ko holi ki dhero shubhkaamnaye.” Shubhangi Atre essaying Angoori Bhabi, shares, “I prepare a lot of sweets and snacks for my friends every year to celebrate the festival, and this year will be no different. I will prepare some treats from Bhopal, my hometown. On my list are gujiyas, jalebis, besan ke laddoos, chakli, and Bhakarwadis. Additionally, my daughter has planned some interesting games for our guests to play around the festival, and I am quite excited about them. Have a wonderful and safe Holi.”
‘Watch Doosri Maa at 8:00 pm, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan at 10:00 pm, and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai at 10:30 pm, airing every Monday to Friday only on &TV!
