Such is his belief in Bappa that actor Arjun Bijlani signs all his contracts on Tuesdays. He says he believes in “Bappa so much that even if it’s urgent, it has to be on a Tuesday”. And it’s no surprise that he celebrates Ganesh Chathurthi with gusto. “This is my 22nd year celebrating Ganesh Chathurthi”, says the actor, adding, “My dad used to bring Ganpati home and after he passed away, I have continued the tradition.”
Earlier, when he used to live in Mahim, Mumbai, with his parents, Bijlani would go to Siddhivinayak, Dadar every Tuesday. “Even after shifting to Andheri, (bit far from Dadar), I kept the ritual going. Siddhi Vinayak is very popular even after walking. Back then, I would queue up as no one knew me and I would pray, or just feel the energy there. After losing a parent, people lose their way and I fell back on Bappa after I lost my dad. I feel a strong connect with him and every year it has grown stronger,” he says.
Bijlani also recalls enjoying Ganesh Chaturthi at her nani’s place as a kid, a memory that shaped his bond with Bappa: “My Nani used to live in Dadar and on the 11th day, all the ganpatis from big pandals would pass through the lane where she lived. My cousins and I would enjoy the festive fervour up close, burst crackers, blow whistles, dance and have a lot of fun. Say Namaskar to every idol that passed, and have prasad. Those were those days.”
Arjun reveals he is very hands-on with Ganpati preparations, be it decorations or food. “I love Ukadiche modak, plus other bhog and prasad. Having celebrated for years, everything is sorted but decor is something that I work on every year. I like to keep it natural and prefer floral decorations. This year, he will be with us for three days unlike earlier when we had him for one and half days only,” shares the actor.
The actor takes off on the festive days and is usually shooting post that but this year, he has ensured to have some more days off and plans to visit Lalbaugcha Raja.
His nine-year-old son Ayaan, too, enjoys the festivities. Arjun calls him “modak chor” as he loves to gorge on modaks during this time. “When he was younger, Ayaan would cry during visarjan as he didn’t want Bappa to go.”
