This is the time of the year when the newly-wed are pampered and showered with blessings and gifts from their parents and in-laws. Thala Deepavali is special, mainly because the couple will be celebrating it together for the first time. The day starts as early as 4.30 in the morning with a customary oil bath, followed by bursting crackers and wearing brand new clothes. Today, we peek into the lives of actors and directors to check how special their Thala Deepavali is going to be.
Kayal Chandran and Anjana:
Anjana says, “Coming from a traditional Brahmin family, we will burst at least one cracker, just for the sake of tradition. I would love to go eco-friendly, but we will have to go by our ancestors’ advice. We got engaged last year and spent our first Deepavali together by watching Thoongaavanam. This year too, we will catch a movie together. This is what Chandran’s family follows. More than me, my mother is fond of making Chandran feel special. She took him shopping and I thought I could surprise him too. When they were on their spree, I took off and got him his favourite perfume.”
Nakul and Sruthi:
We have a family dinner and a small pooja today. We are not very fond of bursting crackers. The only crackers we might light are flower pots and fire wheels. We have five dogs and several birds at home and stand by the initiative, ‘Have a pet friendly Deepavali’. We don’t want to hurt them in any way. I love baking and am receiving a lot of orders to bake sweets for the occasion. Nakul is busy shooting and he makes sure he helps me whenever he is at home. He gifted me a pair of earrings, while I gave him shades,” quips Shruti, who also hosts a travel show.
Vikram Kumar and Srinidhi Venkatesh:
The director of Suriya starrer 24, Vikram Kumar shares, “I stopped bursting crackers a long time back and my wife doesn’t believe in it either. I am looking forward to the wonderful spread of food and will definitely take her out for a movie. I don’t know much about tradition followed in both of our houses, so whatever they say, we will follow it to the T!”
Ganesh Venkatram and Nisha:
An excited Ganesh asserts, “This Deepavali is special to me in many ways. It is my first with Nisha and also marks the first anniversary of our house, which we bought in 2015. As per our customs, we will have an oil bath, wear new clothes and burst crackers. I am extremely concerned about the environment, so I am not keen on bursting them. However, it being our tradition, we might light some that pollute less. I have also planned to surprise Nisha with a special gift. I think the most precious gift one can give one’s loved ones is by spending quality time with them. So, I look forward to enjoying my time with our families.”
Aari and Nathiya:
Aari plans to fulfill his wife’s dream by taking her to her favourite place. He reveals, “My wife Nathiya is from Sri Lanka. We plan to visit the country and spend quality time with her family. During our trip, we’ll visit all the tourist attractions and her school, which she really wanted to see. As a pre-Deepavali gift, I gave her a saree. Also, she loves bullock cart rides, but, unfortunately, we couldn’t do that in Chennai! I plan to surprise her by taking her on one.”
