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Ganesh Chaturthi | Daisy Shah: Planning for next Ganpati starts the day after visarjan
In a special shoot with HT City, Daisy Shah shares all about her this years Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations
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Bappa is almost here and preparations at actor Daisy Shah’s home have been on for a while. For Daisy, what began at her home in 2003 has, over the years, become a responsibility she has taken over herself, particularly after her father’s death in 2007. “My dad and my mom used to take care of the sajana, getting Bappa, the visarjan, prasad and everything. Because my dad passed in 2007, that responsibility I took over. Since then, I have been a part of it and I take all the decisions, mandap kaise hona chahiye, Bappa kaise dikhne chahiye aur unki murti is saal humein kaise laani hai,” she says. Daisy adds that the preparations begin almost as soon as the current Ganpati leaves. “Once this year’s Bappa visarjan ho jaata hai, the next year’s planning starts from the next day itself, how the mandap should be, what kind of Bappa I want. I like to prep way in advance,” she shares.
Daisy likes her Bappa glamorous but keeps the mandap subtle. “You’ll see a lot of bling on my Bappa, but around him, all the things are very subtle. There needs to be a balance,” she says. Speaking about this year’s Ganesh idol, she adds, “We have been bringing home red bappa for the past so many years, last year we had a grey bappa and this year its the same. The biggest change is that there are now two Bappas instead of one. My nephews were like, ‘Maasi, hamara Bappa kyun nahi hai?’ So we asked our idol maker if he had a small murti that was not claimed, and that’s how we got the second Bappa.” She adds, “Initially it wasn’t and eco friendly bappa but for the past few years we have been getting an eco friendly bappa home.”
The celebrations also bring Daisy’s extended family together, with relatives from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh joining in. And while modaks are a staple during the festival, her family follows a distinctly Gujarati tradition when it comes to the prasad. “The Gujarati laddoos that we make are traditional, and that is what we offer to Bappa. The ones made of flour are something that my grandmother used to make, and since then we have been following this tradition,” she says. Daisy, however, admits that her personal favourite is the ukdiche modak.
For Daisy, however, Ganpati is less about grandeur and more about creating a space where people feel at home. “My celebration is not very grand, we try to keep it as big as possible. We only have bappa for 1.5 days, and want people to feel like home when they come for darshan,” she says. She recalls seeing a man who had made a small mandap inside his rickshaw because he did not have space at home. For her, that image captures the spirit of the festival. “It’s the intention that matters at the end of the day, bada, chota, kuch bhi,” she says, adding that food, naturally, is another important reason why she waits for the festival. “I am a major foodie. I actually look forward to festivals and when I get a chance to eat without any restrictions. So, another excuse is to eat more food,” she laughs.
Ganpati is also an occasion for Daisy to reconnect with family and friends. Her extended family, including relatives from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, comes together for the festival, making it one of her cherished memories. Ganpati is also an occasion for Daisy to meet people she may not get to see regularly. One visit she makes sure not to miss is actor Salman Khan’s sister Arpita Khan’s Ganpati, which she has been doing for years. “Arpita’s house, because I’ve been going there for the longest time. Ganpati is one reason to meet people you don’t see every day,” she shares, adding with a laugh that Arpita also makes “the yummiest bread ever”, making another visit an easy choice.
Even when work takes her away, Daisy makes sure she remains connected to the celebrations. Last year, she landed from Dubai at 9am on the day Bappa arrived and immediately had to get ready for the pooja. “Bappa ghar pe hai, I have to take shower and do the pooja… everything is on camera, like on video call, ke haan yeh aisa, yeh aisa,” she recalls. Her habit of planning well in advance, she says, helps her manage such situations without feeling like she is missing out on the festival. For Daisy, the essence of Ganpati ultimately comes down to “happiness, togetherness and blessings.”
Rapid Fire
Your favourite Ganpati song?
Deva Shree Ganesha from Agneepath.
Red Bappa or grey Bappa?
Grey Bappa.
One thing your mandap and bappa must have?
Balance and not too much bling.
One Ganpati food you can never resist?
Ukdiche modak.
Three words for Ganpati?
Happiness, togetherness and blessings.
Kesar modak or chocolate modak?
Chocolate modak. Would give it to Arpita, because she makes chocolate modaks as prasad.
Pista modak or ukdiche modak?
Pista for Ekta R Kapoor.
Who would you dedicate ukdiche modak to?
Would dedicate it Shraddha Kapoor, seeing she is Maharashtrian herself
One Ganpati you make sure to visit?
Arpita Khan’s.
