It is more than a festival; it is a part of our being: Neil Nitin Mukesh

For over two decades, actor Neil Nitin Mukesh’s family has been bringing Bappa home. While the celebrations had a different flavour and fervour in prepandemic times, this year’s festivities are rather low-key at the actor’s place.

Giving a glimpse of the celebration at the Mukesh residence, Neil said, “For us, Ganesh Chaturthi is more than a festival; it is a part of our being. My daughter, Nurvi, has been helping my mother with the preparations. She is quite excited about the festival — Ganpati Bappa is her favourite. He has been a part of our lives for the last 27 years.”

The pandemic has changed the scale of the celebration this year. With strict Covid-19 protocols being adhered to, many are keeping the festivities lowkey. “I miss the constant flow of guests this year. We invited limited guests for darshan. Previously, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations were at a different level at our place. We are keeping everyone in our hearts and prayers and hope that they forgive us for not calling them over. We pray for everyone’s good health and hope to celebrate next year as we did in pre-pandemic times.”

A few days ago, Neil took to social media to share the excitement his father, singer Nitin Mukesh, feels about the festival. “Papa becomes like a child in the house, waiting for his favourite Bappa to come home,” he had posted on Instagram, alongside a photo of him and his father holding the idol.

Sharing his thoughts on the festival, Mukesh senior said, “Ganesh Chaturthi is the most important time of the year for us. We start preparing for Bappa’s arrival months in advance. But, this year, due to the pandemic, there’s less joy in having Ganesha home. We miss friends and family coming over to be a part of the celebration.”

While the guest list is exhaustive, there is one special friend Nitin Mukesh misses the most. “My friend, my brother Chintu (Rishi Kapoor). He was one of the first ones to visit us. In these 27 years, Chintu didn’t miss even one Ganesha Chaturthi. I remember one year when he was not in town, he especially flew down to Mumbai and drove straight to our home for darshan,” he signed off.