TV stars welcome monsoon

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (was an American poet and educator) The hot and oppressive summer is finally over. Monsoon has set in Mumbai city where and all TV stars are welcoming the season. Shaleen Malhotra who stars as Arjun in Life OK’s Arjun is happy that summer has come to an end with the onset of monsoon. He told us, “I have loved the rains since I was a child. I have fond childhood memories of floating paper boats in the rain water and playing football in the rains.” He avers that the monsoon brings out the poetic and creative streak in him. “I pen poems, songs and abstract pieces of writings during cloudy and rainy days. I wish to publish my writings in a book later.” Like most of us, he relishes hot coffee and pakodas during the rainy season. His monsoon wardrobe consists of tracks, vests, linen pants and shorts. The only hitch he encounters during the rains is travelling to work. Being a believer in punctuality he sets off an hour or two early, so that he can reach the sets on time. Like Shaleen, Giaa Maanek who stars as Jeannie in SAB TV’s Jeannie Aur Juju is also a stickler for punctuality who leaves for work in advance during the monsoons. “I leave for work twenty minutes earlier so that I reach on time.” Currently the rains aren’t hampering the shooting schedule as they are having more of indoor shoots. She informs us that outdoor shoots take longer during the monsoons as they have to wait for the rain to cease till they shoot again especially in scenes which demand a rainless atmosphere. The pretty actress’ monsoon wardrobe consists of knee length dresses and shorts, a violet colour umbrella and nice and flat rubber shoes. She loves sipping on steaming hot adrak ka chai and munching chilly pakodas during the rains. Reminiscing on her school days, she remembers how she would reach school to be informed that a holiday had been declared. She laughs, “There are no rainy day holidays now as we have to shoot and deliver every day.” When it starts pouring heavily outside, Giaa loves to watch the rains from her balcony, read a novel, watch movies and call over her friends to her house. Shakti Mohan who you had last seen in Dil Dostii Dance, also loves to watch the rains from the window of her home. She feels that indoor family get-togethers are the loveliest during the monsoons. A Lokhandwala resident, she starts from home thirty minutes in advance so that she can reach the sets on time. She feels that the monsoon climate revitalises her. This pretty actress thinks that only downside of monsoon is that the wind and rain lowers immunity. Like Giaa she wears shorts and knee length dresses during the rainy season. She does like hot tea but avoids combining it with fried food as she thinks it is unhealthy and add to her lean figure. Shakti, who is a BITS Pilani graduate has very fond memories of the monsoons spent in that institute. Despite her educational institute being in Rajasthan, it would rain cats and dogs there. “I loved to dance in the rain and play in the mud. I would get ill and catch a cold though.” Shashank Vyas who plays Jagya in Balika Vadhu both likes and dislikes the rains. “It depends on my mood on whether I enjoy the rains or not. When I want to go for an outing with my friends, I wish for clear skies and hence feel that the rains play spoilt sport. Maybe once in a blue moon, I want to have hot pakodas with my friend, I feel that a rainy day is the apt setting. I generally avoid oily food though I love hot coffee when the sky is pouring.” His favourite indoor activity during the monsoons is playing video games. He doesn’t use an umbrella during the monsoons. “I think an umbrella is a girlie thing. I do wear a rain coat which I think amply protects me from the rains. During my school days I neither carried an umbrella nor wore a rain coat as I would love to get wet. Of course, I would get a good scolding from my parents and teachers because of getting drenched.” Siddharth Arora who plays Beera in Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha Season 2 is glad that the hot summer days have come to an end. “I think that rainy days are fun and relaxing unlike summer days during which you are drenched with perspiration.” Going back to the days when he was doing Mukti Bandhan he recollects as to how they would improvise during the rains to include a downpour sequence in a scene which previously had clear and sunny skies. “The scenes came out very naturally as we would get wet in the rains. I guess that we will improvise in Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha too.” During the monsoons he likes to wear three quarters, a shirt and slippers. He doesn’t carry an umbrella anymore as he loses four to five umbrellas in each monsoon. He loves to savour piping hot dal khichdi and samosas during this season. His favourite indoor activity is watching TV and reading ghost and thriller stories during the monsoons. Ruchi Savarn who is playing Devika in Ghar Aaja Pardesi loves the rains. In fact, she enjoys enacting scenes where she has to shoot in the rains. She had recently visited Lonavala during the monsoons with her friends during which she got soaking wet during a downpour. She loves to carry umbrellas with animal print during the season. “I like umbrellas with leopard prints.” Her favourite monsoon meal is hot tea with vada pao. Going down memory lane, she has fond memories of her childhood days when she would go to school on a bicycle balancing her umbrella with it. Her favourite indoor activity during the rains is singing while watching the rains and sipping hot tea. Let the Rain God Indra drench Mother Earth with sweet rain. Let his white elephant Airavata pierce the clouds with thunder and lightning. Let greenery multiply during the monsoons. As a TV viewer though, we hope there will be many sweet and romantic rain sequences during the monsoons. Let the TV actors thoroughly enjoy the season while shooting on the rainy days.