For actor Shivangi Verma, who has worked in shows like Tera Ishq Mera Fitoor and Choti Sarrdaarni and is currently seen in the web series Yeh Hai Sanak, Diwali is not just a celebration but a time to perform puja and soak in the love and warmth with her friends and family around. She said, "Diwali is not just about celebrating with fireworks and crackers, but it is more about love, togetherness, being grateful for the things you were blessed with this year, and celebrating that. Following the tradition of making rangoli, lighting diyas, and making memories with family is my type of Diwali. I would encourage everyone to not burst crackers this Diwali and save Mother Earth from pollution."
She shared that it's a time when she enjoys being together with her family and added, "It's about worshipping Ma Laxmi, welcoming new beginnings with my loved ones, clicking photos, and making new memories. It's just another bliss I find in this era of my life. I love to celebrate Diwali very intimately, like with close friends and family. We play games, eat amazing food that my mummy makes, and just spend the day with my lovely, close-knit people."
As Diwali symbolizes light overcoming darkness, the actress revealed that the darkness in her life was when she had just entered the industry. She said, "It was cutthroat competition, where I went for auditions and felt like giving up. However, my dreams and ambition to become a successful actor kept me going, which was my light."
But Shivangi looks back at Diwali as a time for reflection and expressing gratitude. She said, "I feel looking back on what I have achieved and what I could have done better is very self-reflective, and I find it helpful to be a better me. I am very grateful for my fans and my new series Yeh Hai Sanak."
A fond childhood Diwali memory? "My best childhood memory that I always remember during Diwali is how my dad would take me to the Fataka Store, and we would go crazy by just looking at the giant fireworks, and then once we got back home, we would just get yelled at by Mummy. She would say, 'Why do you need so many?' and yell at my dad that he spoils me rotten. And, you know, that was a time of my life I will never forget," she ended.