Zee Theatre artists say the pandemic may have brought in virtual rakhis but not robed Raksha Bandhan of the love it is associated with.
Like every other festival this year, Raksha Bandhan too will be celebrated under the new normal – for siblings who stay apart, it will be virtual and couriered rakhis, and wishes will be through phone calls or video chats. Zee Theatre’s artists have decided to do just that and stand firm with the social isolation orders issued.
In the previous years, Sonali Kulkarni from Zee Theatre’s teleplay 'White Lily, Night Rider' celebrated Raksha Bandhan quite traditionally, though uncannily too. For her brother Sandeep who used to be in the US, she couriered a rakhi and spoke at length on the phone and for her other brother Sandesh who is in Mumbai, she often exchanged greetings in the car. “Invariably on Raksha Bandhan day I had a shooting to attend to and my brother was rushing to some work and we used to meet halfway and tie the rakhi. That is how it used to be every year”
She adds that this year, it will be totally different, and keeping in mind the norms prevalent. “Though both my brothers are in India, I will follow social isolation and am not even considering meeting them under the building. I support the need for social isolation and feel it is very important to follow it. For me, the celebration event hardly matters. I care for my brothers and they care for me and we love one another and that is most important,” says Sonali.
Lead actress Rajeshwari Sachdev from Zee Theatre’s teleplay 'Double Game' says her brother is always there when she needs him and that matters the most, even if every year Raksha Bandhan is an exchange of the Rs 11 shagun. “One of us is always working on Raksha Bandhan day. My brother wears his rakhi for just a min to keep the tradition he has kept since childhood. Tab chidhaane ke liye karta tha. Ab use lagata hai ki yehi continuity maintain karte hain. And gift, aaj bhi hum dono ke beech 11 rupai ke shagun ka chalan hai rakhi pe.” The actress adds that if she needs anything her brother is always there. “If ever I need anything or I am troubled, I find him right beside me...he has my back always.”
The 'Gudiya ki Shaadi' actress Shweta Basu Prasad is happy her play is being slated for Raksha Bandhan. The play is available on Tata Sky Theatre. She says: “In the play, I have a lot of relationships but the one between my brother and me is one of the most beautiful relationships.” As for her personal celebrations, Shweta says that her brother Rahul is a good gifter and the siblings are very close. “My brother and I are like friends. We both love mithai but we are also health conscious so we try to feed each other mithai because we know we are not supposed to be having.”