For Helly Shah, Navratri evokes memories of dancing through the night in Ahmedabad. This year, work brought her to NCR during the initial days of the festival, keeping her away from the celebrations back home. As we strolled through Lajpat Nagar market with her, she spoke about her love for garba and raas, how she makes time for the festivities despite a busy schedule, and her plans for Diwali with family.
As we strolled through Lajpat Nagar market with her, she spoke about her love for garba and raas
‘Garba and raas are a big part of my life’Recalling the carefree days of dancing with friends well into the early hours, she said, “I absolutely love Navratri. Garba and raas are a big part of my life, and I look forward to participating every year. I have so many memories of playing garba in Ahmedabad, especially during my school days. We would dance for hours, sometimes till early morning, and those days were so much fun. I really miss that kind of carefree celebration.” The actress recently featured in Monali Thakur, Parth Oza and Suhit Abhyankar’s Galgoto, a track that has been a fixture in garba playlists this year.
For Helly Shah, Navratri evokes memories of dancing through the night in Ahmedabad.
Despite her work commitments, the Chumbak actress is making time for the festivities, which hold a deeper meaning for her. She said, “I’m not sure how much garba I’ll be able to do this year because of work, but whenever I get the opportunity, I would go. For me, Navratri is not just about dancing or dressing up; it’s also about the devotion, the energy and the feeling of being connected to our traditions.”‘The feeling of celebrating a festival with your own people is unmatched’As the festive season moves towards Diwali, Helly shared that she enjoys a mix of social gatherings and intimate celebrations with family. She said, “I enjoy going out and meeting people, but festivals have always been very special when celebrated with family. There’s something about being at home, spending time with your loved ones, getting ready together and enjoying all the little things that makes the occasion special. With our schedules, it’s not always possible to be together for every festival, so whenever I get that time with my family, I really value it. I enjoy the social side of the festive season too, but for me, the feeling of celebrating with your own people is unmatched.”
Helly Shah in Lajpat Nagar
‘While everyone’s maxxing everything, I’m keeping festive fashion simple’On her festive fashion mantra, she added, “While people are maxxing everything, my festive fashion mantra is to keep it comfortable and not overdo it. I love wearing traditional outfits, especially lehenga cholis and chaniya cholis for Navratri. I feel that when you’re going to play garba, you should be able to move around and enjoy yourself without constantly worrying about your outfit. I also love keeping my overall look quite minimal and letting the outfit stand out. I admire people who put so much effort into creating a different look for every day of Navratri, but personally, comfort is very important to me.”
‘While everyone’s maxxing everything, I’m keeping festive fashion simple’
