National Award Winner Janki Bodiwala Reminisces Cherished Navratri Traditions

In a heartwarming interview, Bollywood actress Janki Bodiwala shares her fondest memories of Navratri celebrations from her childhood. Bodiwala, who just received the prestigious National Award for Best Supporting Actress, recalls how her elder cousin would meticulously dress her up for the festivities, applying pink blush and drawing designs near her eyes and neck.

As a young girl, Bodiwala would play garba with her cousins and their friends, dancing until 2-3 AM and then going for late-night drives on their two-wheelers. "I was the youngest, so I was taken good care of," she reminisces with a smile. However, Bodiwala laments that she rarely gets to experience such carefree garba celebrations anymore, as her busy schedule keeps her traveling or working during the festival.

The actress misses the diverse garba steps that were once performed to different songs. "Today, people are doing the same step on all the garba songs for so many hours! It feels weird," she says. Bodiwala particularly enjoys Falguni Pathak's songs like "Pari Hoon Main" and the energetic numbers by Jigardan Gadhavi. She looks forward to the post-garba binge, when she can indulge in a meal or coffee with friends.

Despite the changes, Bodiwala is glad to see that youngsters are embracing traditional garba outfits and celebrating the festival like in the old days. "It has been years since I got to play garba properly, but I see the changes in the celebrations now," she observes.