She’s made some new friends in Bollywood, but rising star Esha Gupta is not keen to break her time-tested Diwali traditions. For her, Diwali equals time with family.
“Like every year, I am going home to Delhi this year. This Diwali, we are doing a big function because my cousin got married. We are expecting lots of people,” said Gupta in an interview with The weekend tabloid!
Partying and socialising with friends can wait until the end of the Hindu festival of lights.
A time for togetherness, Gupta’s fondest memories of Diwali revolve around family, enjoying meals together and her diet going for a toss.
“We eat together, light diyas [lamps] around the house ... During Chote Diwali [the day before Diwali], we have a bonfire and we all just sing a couple of folk songs. We also distribute sweets among our neighbours,” said Gupta. The former model, who made her debut with Jannat 2, starring Emraan Hashmi, says she comes from a typical North Indian household where festivals are celebrated with great pomp.
Playing dress up in Indian finery and decking up in jewels is a part of the festive package. Perhaps, that made her an ideal candidate for Damas to choose her as the face of their Diwali campaign.
“My love for celebrating festivals and jewellery has been cultivated right from my childhood,” said Gupta. Her prized possession? A pair of gigantic jhumkas owned by her mother.
“I have not worn it yet because it’s very precious and dear to me. It’s something of a legacy piece. When I get married, I will pass it on to my children,” said Gupta, who has a fetish for yellow gold and diamonds. After the success of her first film, she treated herself to a one-carat ring.
“There’s no re-sale value perhaps but girls are unreasonable when it comes to these things ... for us, jewellery is not about investment alone … we think of it as a good gift,” said Gupta, who has directed her sister to buy her mother a piece of jewellery for her anniversary. She’s also a champion of saris, a stark contrast from her sexy on-screen avatar.
“Sari in any form is beautiful. It makes you look elegant and sexy. No woman can look as sexy as an Indian woman in a sari. With so much fabric, we still manage to look so sexy.”
