Jay Bhanushali: Navratri is like the tomorrowland of Gujaratis
Jay Bhanushali opens up on his fondest Navratri memories, how it used to be like a matchmaking hotspot and daughter Tara's affection towards the festival
Having his roots from Bhuj, Kutch in Gujarat, the festival of Navratri holds a special meaning for actor Jay Bhanushali. “Navratri has been a very intricate part of my religion. Everyone looks forward to these nine days. For the middle-class kids from ‘80s and ’90s, these nine days were like what clubbing for today’s generation is. This was the only time we used to get the chance to dance with family, friends, and even strangers. It’s actually like the Tomorrowland of Gujaratis,” he says.
The actor also believes that Navratri is the perfect way to show our culture to people internationally. “I feel that if Navratri is promoted to foreigners in a better way, people will come all the way, especially to Ahmedabad, to see the celebrations. So, it’s a really nice way for outsiders to come see and revel in our culture. It will also promote tourism to our country,” he insists.
Recalling some of his best memories of the festival, Jay says that growing up in the sole Gujarati household in his colony, the responsibility to organise the celebrations fell on his family. “We didn’t used to have the big music systems or have a professional DJ. But I had a very good music system which used to play cassettes, and we would bring that down and I used to be the unofficial DJ. People would come from all religion to enjoy the festivities and those days, they didn’t use to care about how much show-sha is there, which celebrity is coming and all. Everything was so minimalistic and it was beautiful.”
The 39-year-old even visited the community colony in Mumbai for the celebrations and quips that it used to be a matchmaking hotspot: “That is the only place that is open till five or six in the morning during Navratri. It’s only for the community people and it used to be the spot for matchmaking too. Adults would stand on the first floor and scout for prospective brides and grooms for their kids. It was our version of a matrimonial site.” Though he admits he hasn’t visited there in a while, he intends to do so this year.
Jay reveals that the excitement for Navratri reflects in his 5-year-old daughter Tara too. “Anything with dancing and she loves it. She loves to get ready and during Navratri, she gets this chance to do it. Her Gujju gene flares up during this time. Even schools today celebrate these festivals with colour themes, so Tara decides every day what she is going to wear. But with her growing up, I don't get to pick clothes for her now,” he ends.