Dheel de, lapet & snacking: Vyoma Nandi’s Uttarayan diaries

“This is my second year of celebrating Uttarayan after a 25-year break,” shares Vyoma Nandi, who was born in Ahmedabad and raised in Canada. The Hurry Om Hurry actress, who currently lives in Mumbai, joined us for a fun shoot. She adds, “This time, I have come to Ahmedabad just to celebrate Uttarayan. Last year, I celebrated Uttarayan in the city during a film promotion. I enjoyed it so much that this year, I planned my visit to celebrate it.” Excerpts from a chat:‘I love having til ni chikki and sing pak’I was born in Ahmedabad and celebrated Uttarayan until I was five or six. After that, we shifted to Canada. My earliest memories include having my uncles and their families coming home, and all of us would be on the terrace and fly kites the entire day. My mom made amazing til ni chikkis and sing pak, which are my favourites. I would eat snacks throughout the day and relish undhiyu for lunch. My dadi used to hide a one-rupee coin in mamra na laddoo, and whoever found it would keep it. It felt like a big victory (laughs). Once we shifted to Canada, we couldn’t fly kites, but my mom continued the tradition of making til ni chikki, sing pak and mamra na laddoo on Uttarayan. I’ll miss eating those this year. I enjoy celebrating Uttarayan in Ahmedabad because the vibe is unmatchable. It feels like a cricket match where everyone is shouting, hooting, and celebrating the entire day together. Also, the food on offer is unmissable! I’ll taste every snack, every dabba on the terrace while flying kites. While new songs are fun, OG songs like Dheel De and popular tracks by Shaan, Sonu Nigam, KK, and Shankar Mahadevan are perfect to keep up the energy and vibe. ‘Will be celebrating the festival at the Heritage House’Last year, we visited a pol for film promotions and flew kites. This year, I will spend the entire day at the Heritage House with my industry friends and cousins. I am still a beginner when it comes to flying kites. Last year, my cousins and friends flew the kites to a certain height and handed them over to me after that. This time, I plan to learn it and fly kites on my own. I have also tried tying kiniyas by myself. I prefer wearing a comfy hoodie or tee and accessorising my look with sunglasses and hats. I also wear tapes on my fingers for protection. Patang chagani aaye na aaye, lagna chahiye ki Uttarayan toh maine hi manayi hain (laughs)! I don’t know much about how evenings are spent here, so I have told my friends and cousins to plan something.‘Celebrations can’t be at the cost of safety’While it’s nice to see people indulging in banter on terraces, some people forget about the essence of the festival. We see kites being cut, and that is the fun part of the festival, right? But why cross and jump across terraces to catch the ‘kati patang’? The spirit of the festival should remain intact with happiness and sportsmanship. No celebration is above the safety of everyone around.