Richa Chadha is super excited to celebrate the Diwali festival in Mumbai with her husband-actor Ali Fazal. And she has added a ‘dilli’ twist to the celebrations as she took some time out from her schedule to go on a festive shopping haul with us at Dilli Haat.
From buying an elaborate dupatta to splurging on traditional juttis to home decor items, the actor was happy to go on a shopping spree, thanks to the pleasant sunny weather with a nip in the bud.
“Coming back to Delhi and going on the shopping spree was a great experience. That’s because Delhi is my home ground. Whenever I am in the city, or anywhere in the world, I love supporting the local industry, which is why I went to Dilli Haat for shopping,” Chadha tells us.
The 46-year-old adds, “Apart from Dilli Haat, my favourite shopping destinations in the national capital are the traditional markets of the city, like Chandni Chowk, where you can find anything under the sun. If I want a slightly elevated street shopping experience, I love going to Khan Market so that I can check some showrooms as well as the local shops”.
there’s no way around it except that you plan beforehand and you avoid the peak traffic seasons.
{{/usCountry}}there’s no way around it except that you plan beforehand and you avoid the peak traffic seasons.
{{/usCountry}}Walking down the bylanes of Dilli Haat exploring the shops makes Chadha walk down the memory lane, and reminisce about the time she used to come here as a youngster to chill. “I used to go to Dilli Haat as a student, and the time was just glorious. I still remember we would indulge in the beverages here, and have momos from different parts of India, especially from the Northeast. It was just amazing,” she recalls.
At Dilli Haat, she bought a lot of ethnic stuff, from jewellery to dupatta. And the actor admits that’s her go-to attire for festive occasions. “I like to wear stuff from different places. I absolutely adore chikankari from Lucknow or Avadh. I have also bought some beautiful dress material with Kashmiri embroidery from a shop. I love kantha saree. I love juttis as they go with multiple outfits,” says the actor.
Looking back at a cherishable memory from her Delhi days, Chadha says, “It was basically sitting in the car as my parents drove around the whole of Delhi from East Delhi to South Delhi to West Delhi to hand out Diwali presents to relatives. Because it is the one time in the year when everyone would meet everyone, exchanging mithais and all. That is my core memory. Then I remember it is a time when the whole market picks up and there’s a lot of shopping and a lot of celebration all around”.
When it comes to her Diwali prep, she has shunned away plastic from her decor at her place. “This year, I’ve done a lot of solar lighting around the house because it is better for the environment and better for us as well. I have tried to use organic ways of decoration like coconut, and even in rangoli too”.
She wraps up with a message for all, as the actor says. “I just want everyone to spread cheer, do a lot of charity and pledge to do amazing things for society and for the environment”.