Did Durga Puja shape up the performing artiste in Satakshi Nandy?

We catch up with actor Satakshi Nandy who recalls her favourite moments from para puja (neighbourhood Durga Pujas) while growing up.

Discovering the joys of neighbourhood festivities through the eyes of actor Satakshi Nandy

Satakshi mentions, “I have grown up being surrounded by a wonderful neighbourhood ambiance. My earliest Durga Puja memories were of rehearsals for Durga Puja dance and theatre performances. My entire craft of getting up on stage and performing in front of people originated from our neighbourhood Durga Puja pandal.”

When we asked about the food scene during the Pujas she said, “For people like me who don’t have the practice of waking up very early, used to get up and get dressed early in the morning. We used to go to the Pandal and distribute Bhog in an organised manner. The Bhog was hand-prepared by the men and women of the area – Khichudi, Labra, Cooler Chutney and more. It would taste amazing. At night, having chicken roll from Anamika was a must; and everyone in my family had a customised order for the chicken roll. That apart, ice-cream and phuchka was of course there.”

Despite being surrounded by a neighbourhood puja ambiance, pandal hopping still found its way to her. She says, “I started pandal hopping much later when I was in college. In college your horizon widens and even your parents allow you because they think you are old enough to be responsible for yourself. So, yes I have gone pandal hopping at times. Also, I don’t prefer the crowd. But if I hear there’s a unique pandal, like there was a Sukumar Ray’s Abol Tabol themed pandal some years ago where the whole neighbourhood came together to paint the house walls black and white; I don’t mind braving the crowd for it.”

With Durga Puja, not only does the excitement of going out, eating or meeting friends increase, the idea of wearing beautiful clothes fill up the mind for the longest. When asked about the same Satakshi mentions, “Honestly, I don’t remember when was the last time I bought clothes for Puja. Up until my teens, it used to be anything that was in the trend like bell bottom jeans or stone work because things were very retro. Plus if there were friends who got a certain kind of clothes that caught my eye, I would have liked to have a similar piece for myself too. But with time, the fascination towards buying new clothes disappeared and I discovered a lot of Ma’s old sarees. My habit of wearing saree actually started from Durga Puja. Now it has come down to being comfortable in what you wear.”

Before signing off we asked her for a sneak peek of her Durga Puja plans for the year and she responded, “I have never had to make any plans during Puja. But somehow or the other on all five days I am doing something.”

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