MUMBAI: With Diwali here, the stars of Bollywood are ready to celebrate the festival

of lights in their very own special ways. Here’s how they’ll be doing it.

My most favourite festival. I love the lights and positivity that come with Diwali. What I like best are the sweets, rangoli and crackers (not the noisy ones). I never play cards. Can’t relate to that activity. — Urmila Matondkar

I love to spend Diwali with my parents and sister. And that’s the biggest Diwali gift I can get. This time when my sister Rangoli is in the hospital I feel the need to be with them. But I’m in South Africa shooting with Suneel Darshanji, Bobby and Upen Patel for Shakala Laka Boom. So there’s no one at home to sajao rangoli. I suppose work is worship. That compensates for my need to be near my family. — Kangana Ranaut

Diwali means family friends and lots of mithai and masti. I’ve plenty of reason to celebrate, now that my dad is out of surgery and on his feet. But alas, I’ve butterflies in my stomach. Don releases this Diwali. So the biggest gift for me? That people should like Don and me in the film. — Priyanka Chopra

Diwali this year also happens to be my mom’s birthday. So it’s double celebration time. Though our house is currently broken down for renovation I’m having a taash party with family and friends. We’ll have marigolds and rangoli earthen diyas…not designed by event management team, but by me personally. — Shabana Azmi

My sister Meghna is back in town specially for Diwali. So all of us in the family will be together. What better gift can I hope for? I’m looking forward to spending time with family and friends, catching up on films. Diwali to me is about renewing old ties. Ostentatious spending on new clothes and crackers causing smoke pollution are definitely not my scene. — Sameera Reddy

Diwali is always spent with my family, and since I’m not working during Diwali, this year is no exception. I just gifted myself a house. So I’m taking it easy on the gift front. But I wouldn’t mind receiving gifts from my friends, ha ha. — Amrita Arora

The rituals for Diwali are invariable for me. I do a Laxmi-Ganesh puja followed by a quiet dinner with all my family and close friends. Simple and traditional. This year is no different. For once my entire family is in Mumbai…Mom, Dad. My elder sister Bidisha and younger sister Vijayeta , my brother-in-law Rohit, my nephew Anitej and of course John, and my best friends Suzie, Vishal and Rocky S. I think this is the biggest Diwali gift I could ever hope for. Everyone I love together with me, including my sweet pet Poshto. I’m busy decorating my house for the occasion with lights and candles and diyas, so you’ll have to excuse me. — Bipasha Basu

I always have a Kali Puja at home. We fast the whole day and eat after the puja. This year it’s the same. Maybe I’ll meet up with friends after the puja and go out. I don’t like noisy patakas. But I like to watch the fireworks. I’ve bought gifts for my entire family. My mother has sent me beautiful ear-rings and a sari. — Koena Mitra

My husband is busy with the release of Don. So I’ll be dipped in Don on rather than diyas. But yes there will be the regular puja at my parents and my in-laws’ place. And my daughter Rasha will dress up in her ghagra-choli and light up our lives. — Raveena Tandon

Though this is my first Diwali in my new home, I’ll be in Cape Town with my daughters Esha and Ahana. — Hema Malini

Normally I celebrate with my family in Kolkata. We have a huge get-together there. This year since I’ve already been to Kolkata for Dussehra, so I’ll be celebrating Diwali in Mumbai. My Dad will be coming over to Mumbai. I’m gifting myself a new car as a Diwali gift. I’m sure my parents will give me something too. They always do, for every festival. — Raima Sen

...with the guys

We’ll be going to Mini Mathur’s house to bring in Diwali and then to Viraf of Wizcraft to party until morning.

Because it’s like a reunion for all of us who used to hang out at the discotheque named Xanadu in the 1980s. What better gift than old friends for Diwali? As for anything else, I’m quite content with life. Don’t need anything else. — Arshad Warsi

This year I’m celebrating Diwali shooting for Shakalaka Boom Boom in South Africa. Miss my family. I’ve gifted myself a Sony Viao laptop for Diwali. — Upen Patel

Every year I spend Diwali in a different way. This year I’d be in my home town Rohtak. I haven’t done that in years. And since I’ve been shooting in Thailand for weeks I’m homesick. I want my whole family together on Diwali and that’s the greatest gift I can get. — Randeep Hooda

The last two years I’ve been shooting during Diwali. This year I’ll be in Cape Town shooting for Anubhav Sinha’s Cash. Ideally I’d love to go back to my village where I’ve spent all my childhood diwalis. That’s the best gift I can think of. — Riteish Deshmukh