Anu Aggarwal’s name may evoke glamour and musicals of the 90s, but today, she seems more comfortable with her new profile as a yoga therapist, author, and motivational speaker. Her dictionary is no longer replete with words like ‘modelling’, ‘Bollywood’, and ‘cinema’, they have now been replaced with ‘god’, ‘Kaliyuga’, and ‘spirituality’.
The former actor-turned-sanyasin, however, believes in following mindful spiritualism. “Covid, in my view, issued a massive warning to all of us to be self-caring as well as caring for others around us. We need to be more careful than before — for our safety and our loved ones. I find that caring for others ensures that you are cared for, by default.”
It is her wish that people follow that when they celebrate festivals, too, including Ganesh Chaturthi, which begins today. The former model, who became a household name following the blockbuster success of her musical debut film, Aashiqui in the 90s, is aware of the importance of Ganeshotsav in Mumbai. Talking about her relationship with the deity, she says, “I adore Him and have even composed a bhajan in his name when I studied Dhrupad music. Ganpati is one of the most influential gods in Kaliyuga — the Dark Ages — according to the Hindu time cycle. He is an amazing force that reckons with our sorrow and helps us overcome the challenges life poses.”
This year, following two years of muted celebrations, they are touted to be huge. “I find Ganpati festival to be cute but its celebrations could cause inconvenience to others,” Anu shares. “I am all for the reverence of the super-force we call ‘God’. But nowhere does He ask us to be insensitive, environmentally unconscious, or disrespectful to others, in his name,” she adds.
While Anu has plans to observe Ganesh Chaturthi but it’s not in the way everyone celebrates it. “I don’t need to buy an idol with paper money and bring it to my house to show my spirituality. My Ganpati Bappa resides in my heart. He is there with me and always protects me,” she signs off.
