Divine grace

The film industry and Ganpati have a special connect

Every year, in Lata Mangeshkar's home at Prabhu Kunj building on Peddar Road, the Ganpati festival is a period of great joy and celebration. The doors of the famous Mangeshkar home are thrown open for family and friends.

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A Ganesh idol being given a final touch at a workshop

The entire Mangeshkar clan of four sisters, one brother, spouses and children join in with fervour for a fortnight, all professional commitments on hold.

Ganesh Chaturthi is the most active social time of the year for Lataji. She once told this writer, "We Mangeshkars give a lot of importance to Ganesh Chaturthi.

We celebrate it for the entire duration. Relatives and guests are welcome all day long. It is one time when the entire family comes together.
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I would describe it as the happiest time of the year. For me, my family means happiness."

Siddhivinayak
At the other end of town in Juhu, movie moghul J P Dutta and his wife Bindiya Goswami treat Ganesh Chaturthi with just as much reverence and affection as the Mangeshkars.u00a0

Says Bindiya, "When our younger daughter Siddhi was born, J P left us at Breach Candy and drove towards Siddhivinayak temple. Would you believe it, at 2 am, the temple lights were on and the temple services wereu00a0 in full swing! J P went inside.


Hema Malini (r) with Esha Deol

There was a pundit in the temple and no visitor except J P.u00a0 At that moment, he felt a divine connect with Ganeshji. We decided to name our daughter Siddhi and host a Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in our house. We have maintained that tradition for 15 years now ever since Siddhi was born."

Fervour
Bindiya considers their open-house Ganesh Chaturthi celebration the equivalent of the Punjabi langar. "Anyone can come to the house anytime during Ganesh Chaturthi.

We spend days decorating the Ganesh idol. We have had priests from the Siddhivinayak temple coming in the morning and evening for the aarti.

Yes, like Lataji said to you, this is the best, most peaceful and purifying time of the year. J P experienced a miracle with Ganesh's blessings. And it's J P's mannat that Ganeshji should come home for the last 16 years."

The Duttas host a seven-day Ganesh celebration in their home. Various other families in Bollywood share a similar fervour.

Modaks
Says Subhash Ghai, "We have been bringing Ganpati home for decades. We feel blessed. If you grow up in Maharashtra, you grow up with Ganpati being a part of your life.

He is everywhere. In your emotions, spirit, mind and soul and when the annual Ganesh Chaturthi comes around, all those emotions connected to Ganesh bubble to the surface."


Soni and Neelam

What gives Shabana Azmi added joy during the festive season this year, is that Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi fall on the same day. Says Shabana, "My sister-in-law Tanvi, brings Ganpati home.
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This year it feels terrific because we celebrate Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi back-to-back. This year, we go straight from biryani to modak! Such is India's varied culture, which I am proud to be a part of." Shabana recalls many Ganesh Chaturthis from her childhood.
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"As children, my brother Baba and I would be taken to Sarvajanik Ganpati mandals in our area in Girgaum. I have extremely warm memories of those visits. I love the mangalmurti aarti. Many of my close friends bring Ganesh home.
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We go visiting them. Among the people we visit are Neetu, Rishi Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Anil Kapoor and his wife Sunita, Mona Kapoor (producer Boney Kapoor's ex-wife) and Manish Malhotra.
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No other country boasts of as many religious festivals as we do. The diversity of religious celebrations is our strength. Abba (father Kaifi Azmi) used to be big on celebrating all festivals. We carry the tradition forward."

Friends
Poet-lyricist Prasoon Joshi who grew up in North India became familiar with Ganesh Chaturthi later in his life. "I love the festival! In my growing years, I had only heard of it. But over the years in Mumbai, I have become very attached to the whole celebration.

I don't bring Ganesh home. But I join friends every year. I think it is one of the most beautiful festivals in the world."


Shilpa Shetty

Hema Malini and her two daughters religiously go through the Ganesh Chaturthi each year. Sameera Reddy who is originally from Andhra Pradesh observes this festival with her family. Actor Samir Soni who is from Delhi and singer Rekha Bhardwaj say Ganesh Chaturthi has no ritualistic significance for them.

Says Soni, "Growing up in Delhi where it is not a big event, it's never had a huge importance in my life other than the frenzy it generates on the roads. But I do visit friends in Mumbai for darshan and Ganpati meals. Other than that, I believe God is within us and the man-God relationship is an extremely private one.

Hence, I shy away from public demonstration of devotion." Rekha Bhardwaj says Ganpati is everywhere in her house. "I don't follow any religion.
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I don't do Ganapti puja. I have done Ganapti and Navratri puja when my son Aasman was very young to familiarise him with all this. I also have lots of Ganpati idols at home that I have collected over the years."

Blessings
For Punjab-born Sonu Sood, Ganesh Chaturthi is very important. "I've been keeping Ganpati for the past 11 years and I look forward to it every year. This year, I am shooting in Mysore. But I will be home for a day to bring Ganpati in." Says Sameera Reddy, "Ganesh Utsav is very important to me. He is Vigneshwar (the obstacle remover).

He gives stability and new beginnings. We are devotees of the GSB Seva Mandal.u00a0

My family has been patrons for years." Shatrugan Sinha and his wife began bringing Ganesh home when their twins Luv and Kush were born. Lately, the practice has been aborted because of the family's travel plans. Says Shatru's wife Punam, "Ganesh Chaturthi is very important for us.u00a0


Sonu Sood

Ganesh is the God of all auspicious beginnings in our lives. Nothing moves without His blessings. We did bring Ganpati bappa into our home called Ramayan, for 14 years after Luv and Kush were born.

Hamare Luv, Kush and Sonakshi Ganpatiji ki kripa hai hamare oopar. Because of our schedules, we discontinued Ganpati at our home. But we visit Ganpati at relatives and friends homes."

Home
Shilpa Shetty has recently begun bringing Ganpati home. Says Shilpa, "This is the second year he's gracing our home. I will continue the practice as long as I can. I'm a huge believer in Lalbaug Cha Raja. So, I get a miniature version of Him at home."

Though married into a Muslim family Ayesha Takiya, observes the Ganpati season with gusto. "My grandmother keeps a Ganpati at home for 1.5 days.

Since childhood, me and my sister and cousins went with our grandmother to select flowers and jewellery for the idol and of course to taste the sweets. My grandmother's coconut modak is everyone's favourite.

Each year for Ganpati, the entire family gathers together at my great grandparents' home in Colaba. All of us girls, used to go for the immersion. No more.


Subhash Ghai

Now we wait at home. It's a sad moment when Ganesh leaves." Television actress and BJP politician, Smriti Irani is a diehard Ganpati devotee.

"Every year, for the last 11 years, we are fortunate to have Ganpati come home to bless our family. It's an occasion for us to give thanks for all the good health and success bestowed on us."
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TV and film actor Ronit Roy says, "We have Ganpati home for 1.5 days. We've been observing this tradition for the last seven years. My wife started the practice. I followed her."

Sequences
Ganpati songs and sequences shot during the immersion in Mumbai are prevalent in Hindi cinema. Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan have shot Ganpati songs in Don and Wanted, respectively.
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Salman, in fact, was looking forward to celebrating both Ganpati and Eid in his home this year. All festivity in the Khan residence has been interrupted by the superstar's illness.

The entire climax of Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitaan was shot during the Ganpati Visarjan in Mumbai and then edited into the film.

Filmmaker Rohit Jugraj plans to shoot this year's Visarjan to pre-empt the climax of his next film. Says filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, "If you're a part of Mumbai, Ganesh Utsav is an intrinsic part of your being.
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I've grown up with the images of the festival. They're embedded deep in my psyche. They signify a great sense of spiritual exhilaration for me. There is no getting away from Ganpati in Mumbai."