The festival of Raksha Bandhan is a symbol of love and support shared by siblings. With changing times, the festival is no longer limited to a brother protecting his sister, but the celebration of a bond that cannot be defined by gender.
On the special day, celebrities share their tales of sibling love and how they are planning to celebrate the festival. Take a look:
Swara Bhasker
This year, Rakhi is special as after many years my brother, Ishaan, and I are in the same city and at home for the festival. His family is here too with his wife and my little niece and I’m in my third trimester of pregnancy, so it really feels like we’ve grown up. Rakhi coincides with Onam festivities this year, so my mother has planned an Onam Sadhya meal because we are all fans of South Indian food, I’ve arranged a Rakhi and some gifts for my brother and it should be a fun and relaxed afternoon for the family together at home.
Swara Bhasker with her brother Ishaan |
Urvashi Rautela
The bond I share with my brother, Yashraj, is truly characterised by its authenticity and uniqueness. Raksha Bandhan holds a cherished place within my heart. My brother and I have consistently maintained an open line of communication regarding our thoughts and emotions, particularly about specific matters. However, as time has progressed, our bond has evolved into a state where verbal communication feels redundant. Instead, our expressions and moods have become eloquent conduits of understanding, a language we have adeptly mastered. I can vividly recall the customary squabbles over the television remote that were typical of siblings. This particular memory has been etched into the tapestry of our hearts, a constant reminder of our shared history. He is my pillar of strength. His consistent support and encouragement have been a cornerstone of my journey, especially during moments of self-doubt. Despite his younger age, he has assumed the mantle of an elder sibling, a steadfast presence that I hold in the highest esteem.
Shilpa Rao
My brother, Anurag, is flying in from Paris. We will celebrate Rakhi together, which is the most important aspect. The most precious gift I can ask for is simply spending time with Anurag. If we are both free, we spend the day together, laughing, talking, watching something, and sharing a meal. His presence is a gift in itself, and having him celebrate Raksha Bandhan with me is incredibly meaningful.
Rashami Desai
Raksha Bandhan makes me reflect on my life and how loving and protective my brothers have been. It is one of the purest bonds and there's so much fun to have a loving brother who's jovial. I plan to celebrate the day with my brothers and reminisce about the special memories of childhood. We all are so busy today that such days rarely happen. So, when they come, it's important to make the most of it.
Aditi Govitrikar
My younger brother, Alpan, is the baby of the family and I have some wonderful memories of us growing up. Raksha Bandhan was always celebrated and mom got new clothes for us. We had a ritual where we tied the rakhi and had a puja thali where we did tika and put rice on his head. My sister and I used to look forward to the gift that we got from him. After growing up we make it a point to be together. Either he comes to my home or my sister and I go to his place, and we end up spending the day together.
Rati Pandey
My brother resides in Patna, and due to work commitments, he couldn't make it this year. But I always make sure my Rakhi reaches on time. During childhood, I used to wait for the gifts and money I would receive; that was my real earnings then. In my opinion, a sibling completes the family because a healthy relationship between siblings promotes empathy, pro-social behaviour, and academic achievements. It can be an incredible source of support because we develop an attitude towards responsibilities much earlier than an only child. Those with siblings will also tend to be better leaders because they’ve taken care of those younger than them. A person with a sibling is a perfect antidote to loneliness.
Khushalii Kumar
I’ll be shooting on Raksha Bandhan, so unfortunately, I won’t be able to spend time with my brother and family since everyone will be in Delhi celebrating the festival. I’ll have to settle with a video call this year. After papa, my brother has beautifully shouldered the responsibility of being a father figure to my sister and me. We have grown up looking up to him and goes without saying, we always have his back and he has ours. Some of my fondest Raksha Bandhan memories are those we spent as kids when we all had the time to celebrate little moments of joy. Treating ourselves to chole bhature and jalebis made at home and spending time with each other are my favourite memories.
Khushalii Kumar with siblings Bhushan Kumar and Tulsi Kumar |
Charu Asopa
My brother is an engineer and lives in Bhilwara, so it would not be possible for him to come down to Mumbai for Raksha Bandhan. All of us are busy with our work, so we won't be able to meet this year. If not for my shoot, I would have flown to my brother to tie him a rakhi. But whenever we meet, it's like a festival for us and as long as we keep the fun bond between us intact, it's all good. For this Raksha Bandhan, my daughter, Ziana, and I will tie rakhi to Lord Krishna.
Shiv Thakare
Raksha Bandhan is a really big festival at my home. My mother cooks a lot of dishes, especially puran poli. My sister is like another mother to me. If anything happens in my life, the first call always goes to her. Like any other brother and sister, we too have a lot of innocent fun with each other. When we were young, my father used to give me Rs 51 to give to my sister after she tied the rakhi, but I always kept Rs 50 to myself and gave her just Re 1! This year, I am surprising my sister with an iPhone 14 Pro.
Mohit Malik
This Raksha Bandhan, I am shooting so I won't be able to travel to my family in Delhi. I don't have a sibling, but I grew up in a joint family with five sisters, so they are more than just cousins to me. Sadly, we cannot meet this time, but they have already sent the rakhis to me via courier. I have two rakhi sisters in Mumbai, so I'll celebrate with them. I feel the bond between me and my sisters has become stronger now that I stay away from home. We long for each other and wait for the moment when we can meet and spend time together. My sisters played an important role in convincing my parents when I decided to marry Addite.
Sreejita De
Even though I am a single child, I have two people whom I consider my brothers. There was a neighbour of mine who was so protective and caring that after knowing him for a couple of years, I started calling him my brother. This year, I'll be meeting him and will tie a rakhi. Also, there is this other brother, Amjad, whom I first met in Holland. We met at an event, and before we knew it, we had developed a pure bond. Every year, I send him rakhi to Holland, and this one time, I was actually in his city during the festival, so I had tied him rakhi too!
Priya Ahuja Rajda
During the day, we will go to meet Malav’s (her husband, Malav Rajda) cousins and in the evening, Kush Shah will be coming home for Rakhi. I don’t have a real brother or sister. Kush is my Rakhi brother and we share a very beautiful bond. He is like my son and my brother both. Nidhi Bhanushali also ties rakhi to my son Ardaas. Other than Malav, these are few relationships I have earned from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and I am grateful for these bonds!
Shalin Bhanot
Raksha Bandhan is very special for me this year. When I was inside the Bigg Boss house, I had instructed my team that all the outfits that I had worn inside should be reused, and thus, they had donated it all to an NGO which looks after those in need. I am going to visit that NGO on Raksha Bandhan and all the girls over there will tie me rakhi. I also share a very loving bond with my siblings and I am really fortunate to have them in my life. We love each other, and we can kill and die for each other.
