Sankranti reminds me of hope, harvest and where I come from: Vijay Raghavendra

For Kannada actor Vijay Raghavendra, Sankranti is more than a festival — it is a reminder of renewal, heritage and the farming traditions that his family has followed for generations. On the occasion of Sankranti, the actor reflects on childhood celebrations, festive food, changing times, and how playing a farmer on screen helped him reconnect with his roots. Vijay is currently working on Mahaan and Second Case of Seetahram.‘Sankranti is a festival that feels like home’Sankranti holds special meaning for Vijay’s family as a harvest festival. He explains that its true significance lies in what it represents for farmers and in the way it was celebrated in his native villages such as Saligrama and Gajanur. “The festival has always symbolised hope for me, because according to our calendar, it marks the New Year. For me, the festival is deeply connected to our roots,” Vijay says. “We come from a family that has been into farming for generations,” he says, adding that he has immense respect for the land and for farmers. “While we belong to the farming community, I’m not a farmer yet. But maybe 15 years down the line, I can see myself getting into it,” he says. ‘Habba now means food and nostalgia’Today, Vijay admits, habba has come to mean good food and fond memories. “I wait for sweet pongal and other traditional sweets,” he says. Bele holige, he adds, is a particular favourite. “I torture (laughs) my mother, sister and friends to make it — even when it’s not the holige season,” he tells us. Recounting his childhood, Vijay recalls families coming together to makebellada acchu, while his grandmother, mother, aunts, sisters and cousins followed the ellu beero tradition, visiting relatives and neighbours. Reflecting on how celebrations have evolved, Vijay says Sankranti isn’t celebrated the way it once was. “Festivals in general have become much quieter and more nuclear,” he observes, adding, “But even if the scale has reduced, revisiting those memories still brings a lot of joy.”‘My role as a farmer in Mahaan took me back to village life’Talking about Mahaan, Vijay shares that he plays a farmer-turned-advocate who helps farmers unfamiliar with legal processes. “Shooting in a village completely grounded us,” he recalls. The experience, he says, highlighted how harvest festivals are still celebrated on a much larger and more meaningful scale in rural areas. Despite his background, Vijay admits that portraying a farmer wasn’t effortless. “I’d be lying if I said it was easy just because my family has a farming background,” he says. “Through this character, I truly got a chance to reconnect with my roots,” he says.