Smriti Kalra: I request as many people as I can to not burst crackers

Smriti Kalra. Picture courtesy/PR

Actress Smriti Kalra has entertained us with some big shows like Dil Sambhal Ja Zara, Suvreen Guggal and more. And she recently made her film debut with Cash on Disney + Hotstar. On the occasion of Diwali, the actress spoke to mid-day.com about what her Diwali looked like.

Talking about her Diwali celebrations this year, the actress said, "Like every year for Diwali, I fly down to meet my family and I celebrate with them in a very traditional way. I do not burn crackers and I urge people to follow the same because the whole concept of Diwali is, ‘Aap diye jalate hain, darkness ko hatate hain' (burn diyas to spread light)."

"Diwali is all about ‘Dharma over Artha' and ‘Moksha over Kama.' Diwali is like any other festival is a celebration of good over evil with your loved ones. So, light diyas and please avoid burning crackers. If you so wish then burn a few but make sure there is no noise so the animals will not be scared. During the festival of Diwali, many pets run away from their houses and stray animals get injured and scared because of the noise of the crackers. So, I urge people to avoid burning crackers," she added.

Smriti said that she makes sure to not burn crackers and is like a ritual for her now. "The very specific Diwali tradition that I follow is not burning crackers and reaching out to as many people as possible and requesting them not to burn crackers as well."

"Apart from this, another tradition in my house is ‘jo ghanta bajane ka kaam hota hai aarti ke time, voh mujhe diya jata hai," she added.

Also Read: Diwali 2022: How the festival of lights is celebrated across India

Talking about how one can make their festive celebrations more eco-friendly in nature, Smriti said, "By buying as many earthen diyas as possible. During Diwali, you can give livelihood to so many people who make small earthen diyas. Avoid buying Chinese lights and burn diyas instead, which is the actual tradition of Diwali. So, that is how you can make it eco-friendly.

"Diwali mein rangoli bhi banayi jaati hain. A lot of artificial colours are put there which are very harmful to the environment also. So, if you go out to buy colours and make Rangoli, opt for eco-friendly colours. Otherwise, we all have haldi at home. Poorane zamane mein toh phoolon ko crush kar ke Rangoli banayi jaati thi. That is eco-friendly, you can always switch to that," she added.

"No one likes noise pollution, be it you, me, our elders or animals. So, avoid burning crackers, and avoid using synthetic colours for rangoli. Try using herbal colours or better try making flower rangoli. I feel everyone should come together and make Diwali mithais. The happiness and joy the sweets bring to the family will make us forget our efforts and go one more mile," she further said.

When asked what message she would like to spread this Diwali, Smriti said, "The message I would like to spread is, apne andar Ke Ram ko ubharein, Raavan ko jitna kam kar sakein voh karein - that is what the essence of Diwali is. Celebrate it with your loved ones. Stay away from crackers and Happy Diwali."