Sheeba Azhar Samrat: “My Dream Is a Home Full of Love, Food & Festivities”

Festivals have always held a special place in Sheeba Azhar Samrat’s heart.

The actress, who is currently seen as Savitri Bua in Vasudha, loves the colours, food and togetherness that come with every Indian festival.

While Ganesh Chaturthi was not a festival she grew up celebrating in Uttar Pradesh, living in Mumbai helped her understand just how special Bappa is to the city.

Talking about what Ganesh Chaturthi means to her today, Sheeba says, I just love festivals. Sometimes I feel lucky to live in a country where there are so many colours, so many festivals and so many varieties of food.

After coming to Mumbai, it took me a few years to understand how special Ganesh Chaturthi is for people here.

You can spend time together, eat good food, dress up, decorate your house and make people feel special. I think this festival means something completely different to people here.

Since Sheeba comes from Uttar Pradesh, her childhood memories are associated more with Durga Puja and Nav Durga celebrations.

She recalls one particular memory from a Durga Mata visarjan that has stayed with her.

I don’t really have a childhood memory of Ganesh Chaturthi because I am from Uttar Pradesh, where the celebrations are different.

In my hometown, Ganesh Ji doesn’t come the way He does in Mumbai. We used to have Nav Durga Puja and Durga Mata celebrations, she shares.

Recalling the childhood incident, she adds, I remember my younger brother and I took two rupees each and went along with the procession.

We went in a tractor trolley towards the river where the visarjan was happening and we had taken the money from home without telling anyone.

We reached there, but we didn’t really spend it.

It became dark and there wasn’t much light. While coming back, a police uncle saw us and wondered where two children were going alone in the dark.

He brought us home, scolded us and scared us. It is one childhood festival memory that has stayed with me.

For Sheeba, the biggest lesson she takes from Lord Ganesha is to keep moving ahead, even when life gets difficult.

Having faced her own share of struggles, she believes that staying focused on work is what keeps her going.

I think my biggest lesson has been to keep working and keep moving forward.

I have gone through many difficult phases in life, including loneliness and financial struggles.

Now that my career has started, I feel that work itself is my biggest celebration. I just want to continue working, earn money and create a better life for myself and my family, she says.

While festivals today have become bigger and more elaborate, Sheeba feels that the most beautiful part is still the feeling of togetherness.

She enjoys watching people open their homes to friends and family and celebrate together.

I enjoy the way people celebrate and I love seeing people decorate their houses, invite friends and family, cook good food and spend time together.

I haven’t really experienced that personally because my circumstances haven’t allowed me to, but I enjoy seeing other people celebrate.

For me, the beauty of festivals is really about coming together and making people feel special, she says.

Even though she hasn’t had the opportunity to bring Ganpati home herself, Sheeba enjoys being part of the celebrations at her friends’ homes.

Of course. After coming to Mumbai and making friends, I started visiting their homes during festivals and enjoying the celebrations.

I love those moments when everyone comes together.

I haven’t had a special moment where I could invite people over and celebrate at my own house yet, but I really enjoy visiting people who do, she shares.

And when it comes to festivals, food naturally becomes an important part of the celebrations for Sheeba.

I love food. I like to cook and I enjoy the variety of food that comes with festivals.

That’s one of the things I really love about living in a country with so many different festivals and traditions, she says.

For now, Sheeba has one simple wish for Bappa. It is not about anything grand, but about having a home filled with people she loves.

My wish is to reach a point where I can decorate my own house, invite all my friends over, cook a lot of food and have everyone together.

I haven’t experienced that kind of celebration yet because my circumstances haven’t been like that. I hope that one day I can experience those feelings and celebrate properly with my loved ones, she concludes.

Author: Mansi Shukla