Sara Ali Khan discusses her relationship with Bappa, how Ganesh Chaturthi encourages empathy, and why she is just an Indian and not religious.

Spirituality and devotion play a huge part in the life of Sara Ali Khan, and Ganesh Chaturthi is one festival that the actor waits for all year long. “Ganesh Chaturthi is a celebration of all the love that we have. It’s about spreading laughter, joy, happiness and food with friends and family. For this celebration, everyone comes together, sing aarti’s, have satsangs and just enjoy the moment while spreading as much happiness and joy as we can,” she says.

Sara Ali Khan celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi every year by going to her maasi’s house, and every time feels “just as special” to her. “To me, the festival truly rekindles a sense of communal spirit. In a world that can sometimes feel so isolated, it’s heart-warming to see everyone come together to celebrate, to pray, and to hope not just for auspicious beginnings in our own lives, but for everyone’s,” she smiles, adding that the energy of Ganesh aarti feels like a “reminder of the goodness we all wish for one another”. “That shift from an insular to a more communal way of being is what I cherish the most about Ganesh Chaturthi,” she says.

The whole environment of Mumbai during Ganpati is something else and Sara falls in love with it each year.

“Mumbai lights up differently during Ganesh Chaturthi. There’s laughter, joy, aartis, and pandals on every road. When I see communities uniting to decorate their Ganpati, the spirit of festivity spreads everywhere and those vibrations can truly be felt across the whole city,” she insists.

Sara's parents, Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, are both actors, so she comes from a multicultural family. The actor, however, views it differently.

“I simply believe I’m an Indian. Whatever my spiritual beliefs may be, at the core of it, there’s a very strong pulse of just being Indian. And to me, being Indian means celebrating all kinds of festivals. We celebrate Eid, we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, we celebrate Christmas and I feel that empathy isn’t as prevalent as it should be, but festivals allow for it,” she asserts, adding that the sense of belonging that festivals bring, matters to her deeply. 

“My favourite thing about all these festivals is that they foster empathy. They allow us to celebrate for everyone, not just ourselves. And in today’s world, I think that’s more important than ever,” she says.