My mom’s til laddoos are my all-time favourite: Shantanu Maheshwari

Makar Sankranti is the first festival of the year, a moment that gently sets the mood for the months ahead – of fresh beginnings and traditions. For Shantanu Maheshwari, the festival is tied to fond memories of kite flying and celebrating togetherness.

‘Festivals like these help foster a sense of togetherness’For Shantanu, Makar Sankranti is also about celebrating togetherness. “These festivals give you a chance to spend time with your loved ones and help strengthen bonds with the people who live around you. I make sure to be part of the puja or any festive tradition happening at home. Festivals should be celebrated to keep the child in you alive.”

‘This is the best time to have til laddoos’No Makar Sankranti conversation is complete without food. “Til laddoos will always remain my favourite,” he says. “This is the best time to have them – it’s winter, they’re healthy and I love what my mom makes at home,” says Shantanu, who was last seen in Love in Vietnam.

‘I used to eagerly wait for my turn to fly a kite’The Gangubai Kathiawadi actor admits that while he doesn’t fly kites as often now, it instantly takes him back in time. He shares, “It takes me back to my school days. In college, I had already started working, so kite flying mostly happened on sets. But school days – those Calcutta days – were different. We had a terrace, old buildings and a real sense of community. All the boys who were older than us used to fly kites. Our job was to tie the kite, stand up, throw it and sometimes run towards it,” he laughs. “And when the kite got cut or stuck, someone had to go get it. That was me. I used to eagerly wait for my turn to fly the kite.”

After moving to Mumbai, those experiences became rare. “Here, kite flying is very concentrated. Some buildings have it, some don’t. But in Calcutta, with old buildings and localities, festivals were celebrated together,” he says.