Kaise koi diwali manaaye jab har dil ka deep ek ajeeb andhere mein dooba huva hai ?

Will the once eagerly awaited festival of lights, also called Diwali ever be the same again ? There was a time not so long ago when preparations were made to celebrate this queen of festivals months before it could come, special clothes were made, plans were made on how the festival would be celebrated, the food and sweets that would be prepared, the way the home would be decorated, the ornaments and gifts that would be exchanged, the kandeels that would light up every place and the music that would be played all through the festival and the guests who would be invited and the relationships and friendships that were damaged would be healed and O that night of gambling through the night and how could one forget that day when brothers and sisters celebrated their sacred bond ?

And if there was one place where Diwali was celebrated with all the pomp, the piety and the splendour, it was the world of the film industry which has been abused by calling it Bollywood .

Diwali was Diwali till some years ago and till the dark shadows of the underworld grabbed the Industry and Diwali has not been the same festival again.

And if there will ever be a dull, dark, drab and dreary Diwali in the Industry, it will be the Diwali of 2020 which is on now ....

Amitabh Bachchan who once had the best kind of Diwali and had even burnt one of his hands while playing with fireworks with Shweta Abhishek and Jaya and sometimes even with his parents has called off all Diwali celebrations at Jalsa. There will be no festivities. of any kind and all other ways of celebrating the festival have also been cancelled. The Bachchans have their own personal reasons not to celebrate Diwali besides the scourge of Covid19. They are in mourning for Ritu Nanda, the mother in-law of Shweta and the elder sister of Rishi Kapoor who was not only the best friend of Amitabh but was a part of the Bachchan family.

Amitabh has already wished all his friends, relatives and fans on the occasion and has also requested one and all to have a safe and health problems free Diwali. And if there is one section of the people who will sorely miss the Bachchan Diwali, it will be the paparazzi and the large number of fans who have thronged the bungalows of the Bachchans.

The Kapoors have been having a low key celebration during Diwali ever since the passing away of the Showman who seems to have taken away the show from R K with him. Rishi used to have his own celebrations at his bungalow Krishna Raj on Pali Hill, but within one year both the bungalow and its lovable owner have become a part of history and all that Neetu, Ranbir and Riddhima can do now is live with the memories of their Chintu Sahab and offer their prayers for him. Yeh zindagi bhi kitni sangeen aur zaalim ho sakti hai kabhi kabhi.

All celebrations have also been called off at the bungalow of Jeetendra who once had the most popular gambling night of the festival where lakhs and even crores were at stake in one night. Jeetendra himself is 78 years old now and has not been keeping very well. Jawani hamesha jawan nahi rahati, mere dosto isilye Jo bhi karo ya koi bhi khel khelo ya kuch bhi masti aur aish karo zara aage dekh kar aur apne aap ko dek kar aur soch samajhkar karo kionki Diwali aati jaati rahegi lekin zindagi ek hi baar aati hai.

As I write this piece with a heavy heart reports come from all the big stars including all the big Khans who also used to celebrate Diwali in their own royal ways where their guests included the high and mighty from every walk of life have also joined Amitabh and others to not even have a quiet and subdued Diwali.

Oh Diwali. bahut ho chuka tumara andhera iss baar, lekin agle saal kuch toh reham karna, nahi toh hamaare ye chote chote bache ( sitare) ho jayenge bore. Reham karoge na Diwali ki Devi aur tum bhi o Karona Devi ?