Since childhood, Alia Bhatt has been celebrating Christmas with her family — mom Soni Razdan, dad Mahesh Bhatt, sister Shaheen, and maternal grandparents N Razdan and Gertrude Hoelzer. She tells us why she loves the festival so much and why she looks forward to it…
In celebration mode
“Christmas is very special for me. It always has been. As a kid and even now, the festival we really celebrate is Christmas. Every year on Christmas, my mom cooks the entire traditional meal — complete with stuffed roast turkey, bread sauce, mashed potatoes, brown gravy and Christmas plum pudding.
Being merry
The festival really is about all of us being together in one room. We just laugh, sing and make merry. My (maternal) grandparents who are 80-plus, come over. They may be old, but they are so lively. My grandfather likes to visit the stores and do all the shopping himself. My grandmother used to give us the most thoughtful and interesting gifts when we were younger, and the packaging would be beautiful. I’ve learned how to wrap gifts, because of her. She would put things in the bag and give us. I did that last year with my sister. When I gifted her a bag, I put things inside it. We write each other cards, too.
Christmas shopping
I always remember December 25 as the day when my sister and I would wake up early morning and run to unwrap the presents. As children, we thought Santa Claus was real and we would stay awake till midnight to see if he came to visit us. Of course, we never saw him (laughs) but we looked forward to opening our Christmas presents. Of course, now, all of us go out and get each other presents. I love Christmas shopping and I make time to do it myself all the time for each person in my family. I wrap the presents myself and I find that therapeutic.
Wishing on a star
My sister and I never asked Santa Claus for anything as a kid. We would look at the stars and make a wish after saying the Star Light, Star Bright nursery rhyme… ‘Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.’ Before our exams, too, we would say the same thing. We would then wait to see if the wish came true.
Picking the guestlist
As usual, Christmas will be celebrated at mom’s house and my maternal grandparents will be there. And not all of my friends can come over. Mom’s a fabulous cook, but she can’t cook for so many people, so I have to pick which of my friends can come over. Most of the time they have the leftovers the next day.
Pasta on Christmas
I can make a sandwich, but I am not a cook (laughs). My sister and I help our mother in the kitchen during this time. There’s a dish which has sausage wrapped in bacon and as a child that used to be my contribution (wrapping the bacon). With me turning vegetarian as late as last year, I’m going to miss my fav dish — the stuffed turkey with bread sauce. Mom offered to make pasta for me, but how can I eat that on Christmas?
My personal Santa
Do I have a Santa Claus in my life? I would have to say yes. There is one person that I consider to be the real-life Santa Claus in my life because he gives me everything I want! Karan (Johar), as he is constantly gifting me things. Every time I visit his office he gives me something — from a new pair of sunglasses to anything that he has bought for himself, but feels that I should have, too.”
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 "Alia-Bhatt")
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