MUMBAI :Monsoon is here and who does not love soaking in the first rain of the season or enjoy their favourite food with their loved one? Even though going out during the season might not be something we enjoy, there is something romantic about the rains. Actor turned humanitarian Somy Ali, who now runs her NGO No More Tears, shares what she loves most about the rain.
“No tradition per se, but I do believe looking up at the sky as the raindrops hit my window is not only beautiful, but takes away all my worries and brings an unexplainable calm which I absolutely cherish,” she says.
 
Shooting outdoors becomes an issue during this time. In fact, the situation was no different earlier.
 
“Oh yes, it was during a film called Teesra Kaun produced by [N N] Sippy starring Mithun [Chakraborty] Da, Javed [Jaffrey] and Chunkey [Pandey] and I were in the lead. We were shooting an outdoor song and it began pouring so rather than complaining all decided to use the natural element in the song. It turned out to be a whole lot of fun actually,” she recalls.
 
Traffic jams become a big issue, especially in metropolises like Mumbai. Agreeing, Somy adds, “I remember it would take over two hours to get from point A to point B because of traffic and rain. We just had to deal with it. Being a huge Rajesh Khanna fan to this day, I would just sit in the car and keep listening to all his songs from the movies my mom used to love.”
 
While it’s fun to enjoy it raining outside from the comfort of your home, in case one is stepping out one need to be prepared and must take care of their hair and skin. In general, during this season, these things require special care.
 
“For me, ideally it would be lovely to have chai and samosas with any film starring Kaka ji (Rajesh Khanna was lovingly addressed by this nickname in the industry). My brother and I were not allowed to go out and play in the rain because our parents didn't want us getting sick and mom hated us bringing in our muddy/dirty clothes and shoes inside the house,” she shares.
 
So what's your favourite monsoon song? “Rimjhim Gire Sawan’ with Amit [Amitabh Bachchan] ji and Moushumi [Chatterjee] ji is a beautiful song and of course ‘Bheegi bheegi raaton main’ starring Kakaji and Zeenat [Aman] are two of my favourites. Additionally, any rain songs with Mumtaz and Kakaji were beautiful to watch or simply listen to because I loved their chemistry. And, I think Mumtaz is absolutely stunning and one of the best dancers ever in Hindi cinema,” she adds.