Actress Shefali Shah is celebrating a joyous professional milestone as the release date for the highly anticipated ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 3 has been announced just before Diwali. Shah described this timing as a “divine intervention,” comparing the release to a special “Diwali patakha.” She expressed her delight, mentioning the constant queries about the new season and her own challenge in keeping it a secret. “It feels like this Diwali’s patakha,” she said. “I’ve been asked continuously when is the next season dropping, and it took a lot from me to keep my mouth shut and be secretive. But it’s out now and I believe it’s going to be an extended Diwali celebration that will keep going on and on.”
Diwali holds a special place in Shefali’s heart, bringing out a childlike excitement and a sense of nostalgia. “During Diwali, I get this child-like excitement,” she shared. “And forget festivals, at any point, I am more childlike than my kids. They are still very mature, big boys.” She fondly calls it her “favourite festival” that she eagerly anticipates every year.
The actress cherishes every aspect of the Diwali festivities, from the religious rituals to family gatherings. “It’s about the Puja, everyone coming together, decorating the house, which I love doing, and finally on the Diwali night all our closest core circle being together. The food, the dressing up, the festival is about all of that put together,” she explained.
Shefali’s childhood memories of Diwali are vivid and filled with warmth. She recalled waking up early to the smell of firecrackers and her mother’s intricate rangoli designs. “As a child, it was a very big deal for us. We would get new curtains during Diwali and would wake up early in the morning at 5am to the smell of patakhas in the air. The night before Diwali, my mother used to make rangoli of Lakshmi ji, and I would get very possessive about it. I would get upset if somebody would spoil it. I would sit up all night while she was making the rangoli and help her. The whole feeling of Diwali is kind of embedded in me as the aura during that time is different.”
As the festival of light, Diwali also prompts Shefali to reflect on the true sources of brightness in her life. She believes the most significant lights are her loved ones – her husband, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah, her children, and her pets. Furthermore, she emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and kindness. “But it’s also a slight level of acceptance and kindness towards yourself because finally at the end of the day, you are the only one standing by yourself. As generously as we accept others in love, very rarely do we extend the same kind of love and generosity towards ourselves, which I have tried to do in my own way. I have indulged myself this time and I have come out pretty strong,” she stated.
When it comes to Diwali traditions, Shefali’s favorite is giving gifts, finding more joy in the act of giving than receiving. “I give a lot of gifts and I personally go and select them. I don’t just give an order to somebody and ask them to make it, because I feel that if you’re giving something as a gift, it has to be personal,” she shared, recounting her recent trip to Crawford market to personally select gift materials. She added with a laugh, “I love giving gifts, but I don’t really receive gifts. Maybe I should tell people around that it’s time that they start giving me gifts.”