Shilpa Rao all set to celebrate her first Diwali after marriage

Diwali is all about traditions, family, food and fun and for Bollywood singer Shilpa Rao, this year’s Diwali is special because this will be her first Diwali after her wedding.
“Diwali 2021 is going to be with my family, Ritesh (Krishnan, husband) and our parents. This year, it will be like a full family gathering with loads of sweets and home-cooked food. It will be special this year because most of the time during Diwali we used to travel or we would probably be doing a live concert, but now due to the pandemic we all will be celebrating at home with our close family and near and dear ones,” she tells Bombay Times.
“Diwali, I think, is about spending time with your family, but it is also about caring for other people who are away from their family.It is nice to share food with people around us, our friends, our neighbours, people who work for us. I think it’s a nice gesture to share gifts with them and be there for them. I think it's a whole community activity where people should open their eyes, mind and heart for people around them and share Diwali with each other.”
Musically too, Diwali 2021 means a lot to her. She shares, “This year, I have got my Father's 50-year-old Tanpura repaired and that's my special gift this Diwali and I cannot wait to play on it again after all the years of childhood practice on it.”
Shilpa has always loved making Diwali mithai. “Yes, I do make a lot of meetha because my grandmother used to make Gajar ki Kheer in the festive season. So that is something which I make and it is one of my favourite dishes. There will be a lot of other special dishes that we all make at home and that's the beauty of such festivals; making food and putting on weight. Hehe!”
The singer has always spoken about her love for traditional wear and during the festive season she is all set to sport some desi style. “I am a huge fan of Indian ethnic outfits. I love wearing them with Indian embroidery and home-grown Indian fabrics. I think I will be wearing a comfortable salwar kurta with a dupatta this year too. I'll pick out traditional wear.”