Exclusive: Yogesh Tripathi aka Happu Singh reveals he can finish an entire box of Kaju Katli!

Yogesh Tripathi/PR image

What are your Diwali plans this year?
I do not have anything extravaganza planned for the day. For me, the celebration is about spending quality time with the family. We enjoy doing everything together. Be it cleaning, decorating, cooking and celebrating. The joy of having everyone doing things together itself is fun and rewarding. We will be doing the usual traditional Lakshmi puja and will be our traditional best to celebrate the festival of lights.

What have you shopped for the décor?
Diyas and lights. We love the entire look and feel of the house is completely lit up with beautiful diyas and the LED multicoloured lights. We will be buying traditional sweets, new clothes and gifts for friends, families, and our house helps and staff.

What are your favourite Diwali childhood memories?
As kids, we always looked forward to festivities, which meant new clothes, gifts, meeting friends and family, and lighting up our homes with diyas and lights. I, of course, don't propagate bursting crackers as it is harmful to our environment. So, my childhood memories have always been about getting together with friends in the neighbourhood, bingeing on traditional sweets and savouries and visiting relatives. We used to have these house parties that used to go on till the next morning. I miss those family get-togethers. Also, the Diwali melas - I miss those big times. I used to look forward to those melas every year - it had games, gifts, food, décor - everything!

What are the Diwali traditions at your place?
Cleaning household days before Diwali followed by installing the LED colourful lights and, of course, the diyas. Diwali is incomplete without the traditional puja and decor, the Rangoli and the homemade sweets. We also have the tradition of a special Diwali meal comprising of conventional sweets, savouries and snacks. These are all homemade, and everyone adds their bit in their special way. We love this coming together of the family while cooking and relishing the meal as one big happy family. The family that eats together stays together.

What are your favourite Diwali sweets?
I love eating and enjoying a good meal. Diwali is all about traditional sweets, and I make the most of them. I love the laddoos and kaju katli. I can finish the entire box if not checked (laughs). But that's what the festivities are all about - binge eating!

What's your favourite Diwali song or scene from a movie?
Kaise Diwali Manayen by Md. Rafi Sahab from the movie Paigaam.

What's your favourite part of the festival?
My favourite parts of this festival are everyone getting nicely dressed up for the puja and the enthusiasm to decorate the house to make it look different from others.

Also Read: Exclusive: ‘I will be going to my hometown Indore, to celebrate Diwali,' says Kamna Pathak