Dev to miss Bhai Phonta

It’s that time of the year when sisters tell their brothers how much they care. As Bhai Phonta is celebrated in a big way in the city, celebs divulge some of their plans for the day
Pallavi Chatterjee, Actor
I consider Bhai Phonta to be an extremely auspicious occasion. I religiously follow all the rites. This year, I will not be in Kolkata as I have prior commitments. I’m extremely sad about it.Apart from my brother (Prosenjit Chatterjee), my cousins too come together on this occasion. When I’m not around on Bhai Phonta, I make it a point to visit a temple, where I offer puja for my brothers’ well-being. This year too it will be no different.
Dev, actor
I’m currently in Hyderabad shooting for ‘Paglu’. I’m extremely sad to be missing out on an occasion like this. My world revolves around my sister, Deepali. I’ve sent her gifts, a card and an unending letter. The day I finish shooting here, I’ll be heading straight to Mumbai to be with my sister. This is to make up for the loss. Deepali makes awesome biryani — a dish I’m truly fond of. I’ve asked her to keep my gift ready. Ours will be a delayed celebration.
Subhasree, Actor
I’m in Burdwan now. We celebrate Kali Puja at home. The countdown for Bhai Phonta too starts from Kali Puja. Every year, I give phonta to 16 cousins and this year too, it’s going to be the same. I go out with my sisters in the morning to buy sweets for our brothers, who sit in a row to receive phonta from each one of us. There’s a grand lunch in the afternoon, which is stirred up by the sisters. Gifts too are a high point. And I’m looking forward to 16 of them!
Priyanka Sarkar, Actor
I give phonta to my cousin brothers, every year. Wearing a new salwar-kameez or a sari is a must. Since I visit their houses, I don’t have lunch at any of their places. Later on, we party together. I always make my gift preferences known before Bhai Phonta. That way, my cousins are always well-prepared to receive me. They also tease me if I forget the mantra. My mother makes it a point to make me learn the same in the morning, every year.
Deep dasgupta, Cricketer
My cousins give me phonta every year, but somehow, on this occasion, I miss not having my own sister. It feels very good when I see sisters gearing up for the occasion in every household. My day starts with visiting each of my cousins. I’m pampered with a lot of food. Generally, I have both lunch and dinner invitations. This year, Bhai Phonta being a Sunday, I’m looking forward to a
prolonged adda. I don’t worry about my diet. It’s fun unlimited.
Soumitra Ray, Singer
Every year, I catch up with my four didis on Bhai Phonta. This year, we are in no mood to celebrate as I lost my mother recently. But we’ll all be coming together for lunch today. The menu remains the same as always. There will be chingrir malaikari, shorshe ilish, chitol machher moithya and kosha mangsho. Last year, I had gifted my sisters Bhoomi’s latest album, apart from Amader Katha by Bijoya Ray. This year, I haven’t yet decided what to gift them. But I’ll be picking up something for sure.
Compiled by Ruman Ganguly & Zinia SenFollow us on Twitter for more stories