Everyone is thinking about delicious treats and festive cuisine as the nine vivacious and cheerful days of Navratri get underway. While many people observe fast during these nine auspicious days, celebrities must make an additional effort to maintain their energy while working on set and adhering to dietary restrictions. Hindustan Times spoke with various performers, who describe the contents of their Navratri lunch box:
Deepika Singh
I mostly keep nine days of fast, and it is very detoxifying for my body. But, in these Navratri that come before Diwali, I mostly do events, basically dandiya nights. My schedule is not the same everyday, so I keep two fasts. If I have a working day, I avoid fasting as I have some health issues. But when I do, I eat meetha dahi, fruits, and boiled potatoes. It was easy initially to fast while working, but lately I have been having low BP issues, so I try to avoid it.
Pavitraa Puniya
I keep all the fasts during Navratri. My nine nights and days are dedicated to Shakti, my Mata Durga. Eating all day long is not fasting. It’s more of food tasting then. I dedicate myself completely in all nine days and have a glass of milk rather than eating fruits and dry fruits all day, even if I have a working day while fasting during Navratri. It is not at all difficult to fast for me while working. Somehow there is an empowering force around that never makes me feel tired.
Karanvir Bohra
This year, it is going to be all 9 days fasting for me. Completely dedicated to Maata, I really believe in her, because mere ghar par teen maata hain (his three daughters). It gets difficult to fast while working, but in Sanatan Dharm aap sirf anaaj nahi khaa sakte, you can eat fruits and drink water, so I am going to religiously follow that. I will mostly eat fruits and end the day with the last meal of dinner with all the vrat delicacies.
Mohit Malhotra
I fast on the first and the last day, as we are supposed to keep a pair every navratri. I mostly eat only fruits, so it is a great detoxification process. But, I also love those kuttu ke aatta ke pakode and if my mum is here, I get to eat that as well. It is not exactly difficult to work, because you have to condition your mind accordingly. Sometimes, when you have intense scenes and it drains a lot of energy, then water helps in gaining it back. I always say to myself that there is just one day to go.
Aarti Singh
I keep the fasts for 9 days. My navratra lunchbox comprises of all the fast foods that are allowed. It includes lockey, potato, paneer, sabutdaana khichdi, and kuttu atte ki roti. It is definitely not that difficult to manage fasts along with work because if you feel like doing it and agar aapko shraddha hai kisi cheez ki and agar aap maante ho, toh vo easily ho jaata hai. It should come from the inside and nothing is difficult, I feel.
Aniruddh Dave
Mostly, I prefer to keep fasts on ashtmi and naumi since the very beginning. It gets a bit difficult with work but when there is dedication and devotion, nothing is impossible. Besides, fasting is so good for our health as it detoxifies our body completely. I don’t find fasting during work very tough because you can eat the vrat foods, like kuttu ki roti, which I love. Being a foodie, I eat the sabutdaana khichdi and rajgira halwa surely on my fast.
