Amid the COVID pandemic, Zee TV actors share how they plan to fast during this Navratri

MUMBAI: Manish Verma who plays the role of Gulshan in Zee TV’s Teri Meri Ikk Jindri said, “I have been fasting regularly for almost 6 years now. As a kid, I didn’t really know the true meaning of fasting and why a fast is kept. I believed that in a fast you get to eat really delicious and festive type food. It's only much later when I started fasting that I realized the true meaning and why certain items or a certain kind of food are avoided. I also understood the kind of inner positivity that one needs to maintain while fasting. I usually try to consume absolute healthy food which is prepared in less oil. The idea is not just to take care of the calories but also to seek the positive and mental benefits that healthy food can bring to your body during such a pious time. This year I plan to observe Falahar Navratri wherein I will be consuming only fresh fruits and juices across 9 days.”

 Raghav Tiwari who plays the role of Aditya in Zee TV’s Hamariwali Good News said, “I am a mumma’s boy, I don’t know much about what is to be done in Navratri, so my mom guides me on this front, and I do it accordingly. Usually, I perform a pooja every morning and then fast for the entire day. I love eating ‘Sabudana Khichdi’ during the fast, also my mom makes amazing ‘singhade ke pakode’ so we eat that too. I think these fasts help to detox your body from all the regular junk that you eat. I think it is a much-needed break for your body and you get to eat all the healthy food for the day. And not only for religious reasons, I feel everyone should fast to keep their body healthy.”

Neha Marda who plays the role of Shubhra in Zee TV’s Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti said, “So I have been fasting for the past 14 to 15 years. I absolutely enjoy the festival of Navratri because this is the only time when we can fast for 9 days continuously. When I was a kid, I was the only girl in my entire family, the only ‘Kanya’, so everybody used to treat me like Goddess Lakshmi or sometimes Durga or Saraswathi and I used to feel very special about that. Despite having heard the story around Navaratri celebrations several times, my mom & dadi like to keep reciting the story behind Navaratri to us and I always find it interesting, each time they narrate the story. Earlier on when I used to fast, I used to eat only Falhar that too just once a day.  However, due to the pandemic and the growing need to take care of our health, this year I plan on consuming a proper meal at one particular interval while fasting the rest of the day. We really need to take care of ourselves and I believe God helps those who help themselves.”

Preyal Shah who plays the role of Kiara in Zee TV’s Apna Time Bhi Aayega said, “I celebrate Navratri every year and it is one of my favorite festivals too. I have actually come to love fasting and relish the delicious Sabudana Wada, khichdi, and aloo puri which is prepared around this time of the year. I actually wait for Navratri so that I can have all these Falhari dishes. However, this year I have been unable to keep a fast during Navratri because of a hectic shoot schedule and I hope to resume maybe the following year. I wish everyone a very Happy Navratri, stay safe.”