Anu Aggarwal’s name may evoke glamour and musicals of the 90s, but in the millennial age, 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 words like ‘gods’, ‘Kaliyuga’ and ‘spiritualism’.
The former sex-symbol turned sanyasin, however, believes in following mindful spiritualism. She says, “COVID, in my view, has issued a massive warning to all of us to be more self-caring as well as caring for others around us. We need to be more careful than before, for the safety of ourselves, our loved ones and all those around us. 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 is just around the corner. The former model-turned-actress who became a household name following the blockbuster success of her musical debut film, Aashiqui in the 90s is quite aware of the importance of Ganpati festival in Mumbai. Talking about her own relationship with the elephant-headed deity, she says, “I totally 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.”
City-watchers expect the Ganpati celebrations to be huge this year as there was a lull during the pandemic years. “I find Ganpati festival to be cute, but it’s celebrations could cause inconvenience to others,” says Anu, adding, “I am totally 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.”
While Anu has plans to observe Ganesh Chaturthi, which commences on August 31, but it’s clearly not in the way everyone celebrates it. “I don’t need to buy an image with paper money and bring it to my house to show my spirituality,” she says, adding, “My Ganpati Bappa resides in my heart. He is there with me, and always protects me!”
