Holi festivals in the past and present with Shahrukh Khan

– Sulena Majumdar  Arora

Shahrukh Khan who is always known as “King of Bollywood” has now got a new name. His fans have started calling him as Indian Pathan of Bollywood. The biggest feature of Shahrukh is that he remains grounded despite being one of India’s most famous and loved actors and having acted in over 90 Bollywood films and winning numerous Indian and foreign awards. He still remembers the streets of Delhi where he used to play Holi, cheering and running with his friends a partying , playing football or just roaming and loitering around unnecessarily with his friends. There is nothing hidden about Shahrukh. Today even if he sneezes, it becomes a news, but many people do not know that even though Shahrukh is very proud of his ability, skill, worth, but he was never high and mighty or egoistic , nor is he so even today. Though the record breaking success of ‘Pathan’ has made him a global champion of acting but he is the person down to earth, who forgets his safety protocols and starts chatting with his loved ones anywhere. On the day of Holi,, many times it happened that he went out to play  the color game in public. When asked, he said carelessly  “What difference does it make, Holi is my favorite festival, and Holi is not played alone.” When Shah Rukh was once asked about his sentiments regarding Holi, he said, “The vibrant colors of Holi represents the spring season of life, I am in love with this beautiful festival of colours.This festival reminds me of those days in Delhi when we used to play Holi with our friends. Dipped in color from head to toe, we used to run after each other with colors and gulal and have so much fun. Those days are now lost somewhere. When we were children, we used to wait eagerly to grow up as soon as possible and become some big shot and today when that stage has been achieved, our heart yearns to get back our childhood, even today we celebrate Holi with great pomp and show. Yes, we organize Holi party at our home. We also participate in the celebration of Holi held at the homes of our colleagues and big  personalities, but after all this, the pleasure of our childhood is still missing. The fun of mixing  colors in buckets early in the morning, saving money from our pocket money for buying different colors and playing with friends and strangers, gone are those days. The thrill of buying today’s colors. If reports are to be believed, as a child, Shah Rukh Khan, who grew up in Delhi, had his own unique way of celebrating Holi. It is said, that in an interview, he once shared some memories of his childhood Holi celebrations. He had said, “Many times in Delhi we used to play Holi with natural colors made from flowers and leaves. We would go to the garden and pluck flowers and leaves, grind them, and mix them with water to make colors.”

He also spoke about the importance of Holi festival in his family. He said, “Holi has always been a big celebration in our family. We used to invite all our relatives and friends to our house and we used to play Holi together. My Mom used to cook special dishes and we all used to sit together and enjoy the day.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s childhood Holi was not limited to just playing with colours. It was also about spending time with family and friends, and enjoying each other’s company. He recalled how his mother used to make gujiyas, a sweet dough made of flour stuffed with khoya and dry fruits. Making Gujiya is a traditional dish in Holi.

Shah Rukh Khan has been known for his love for Holi from the very beginning and while he used to enjoy Holi in Delhi as a child, but since he shifted to Mumbai, he celebrates the festival with his Bollywood friends and family. He has always spoken enthusiastically about his love for the festival of Holi in interviews, saying that we all are busy in life, kisi ko kisi ke liye fursat nahi hoti hai but yeh festival hi hai Which gets us together. Holi is the time to connect and celebrate with our friends. “

Whenever he was asked what feelings arises in his heart regarding Holi, he said, “Holi is one of the most beautiful and joyous festivals in our India. It is a day when people of all ages and backgrounds come together to celebrate the coming of the spring season. There are also many beautiful stories related to Holi. Holi is the time to forget all our differences and enjoy the moment.”
Before the Corona period, Shah Rukh Khan used to organize Holi parties every year at his home in Mumbai with his family and friends. He also attended Holi parties organized by his Bollywood colleagues and also posted pictures of the celebrations on his Instagram account. In which he is always seen covered from head to toe in colorful gulal and surrounded by his loved ones. In one of the videos, Shah Rukh was also seen dancing to the popular Holi song “Rang Barse” along with his youngest son AbRam. In another video, Shah Rukh and his wife Gauri were seen laughing and throwing colors at each other. Shahrukh’s wife Gauri is a Punjabi Hindu. The couple is known to be a made for each other couple for their strong and unbreakable relationship, and they have made it a rule to celebrate every festival, both together, under one roof, keeping all their engagements aside. Their joyous celebration of Holi in particular, is a testament to their love for each other and for a lifetime. The net world is ablaze with pictures of Shah Rukh, his wife Gauri, elder son Aryan, daughter Suhana and little son AbRam celebrating Holi with gusto. He captioned his family’s Holi pictures with  messages of lots of love and unity to his fans on Holi, He writes “Holi is not just about playing colours, it is also about spreading love and happiness. Let’s celebrate this beautiful festival with our loved ones and spread happiness to those around us.”

Shahrukh is not only a great actor but also a very knowledgeable person who thinks deeply on every subject and wants to know, understand and learn every subject. He once said, “Holi is not just about fun and celebration. Holi festival is also a beautiful time to forgive and forget past grievances, it is a time to let go of complains and start afresh. It is a festival of unity, people exchange sweets and greetings with each other and try to mend relations with those with whom they had a tussle over something in the past. Let us enjoy this beautiful festival as an opportunity to make peace with those with whom we may have had some misunderstandings in the past.”

He also spoke about the importance of the festival in his family. He said, “Holi has always been a big celebration in our family…we would invite all our relatives and friends to our home and play Holi together. My mother used to cook special food and we would all sit together and enjoy the day.” Were.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s childhood Holi was not limited to just playing with colours. They also spent  time with family and friends and enjoyed each other’s company. He recalled how his mother used to make gujiyas, a sweet dough made of flour stuffed with khoya and dry fruits. Making Gujiya is a traditional dish in Holi. Wishing his fans and readers a very Happy Holi 2023, Shah Rukh Khan said, “Happy Holi” and thanked all his fans and audiences for showering lots of love to his film ‘Pathan’.