‘My Dasara memories are all about food, pandal-hopping and movies at Port Quarters’

“It is different here in the US because Dasara is celebrated in the weekend when everyone is free,” rues Sudhakar Komakula. “We are moving to a new home this Dasara and that’s about it,” informs the actor who now, lives in the US but hasfond memories of celebrating the festival with his family and friends in Vizag.

“The large Odia and Bengali population in the city made the Dasara celebrations grand. Each pandal would have a distinct Devi which would be decorated based on diverse themes. I would go pandal-hopping and end my Dasara nights with a movie screening at Salagramapuram Port Quarters. We would use cloth screens to project the movies.Those were the days,”exclaims the

Life is Beautiful

actor.

Sharing his most cherished memories, he recounts, “My brothers and I used to visit the port and get in one of the cranes being operated there. That thrill was next to none when we were kids.” Amidst all the celebrations and the cultural evenings what Sudhakar really looked forward to was the feast prepared for the occasion.“The best part was the massive boxes of sweets we exchanged during Dasara. We always prayed that Dasara would fall on a day on which we could eat non-veg.

Mutton curry

, garelu, pulao were for lunch and pulihora and burelu were savedfor dinner,” he says, adding wistfully, “When I moved to Hyderabad, I would miss the celebrations at home in Vizag — the pandal hopping, the visits to Kalimata temple. For Ayudha Puja, we would place books during childhood but after I moved to Hyderbad, I would put my camera, makeup and even gajjelu, in remembrance of how much I used to dance when in Vizag.”

No matter where life takes him, this festival continues to remain special for the actor. “The story of Goddess Durga killing the demon, Mahishasura,made me believe we must look for the good that exists within each of us and help it fight evil. That, for me, is the true lesson from the Goddess,” he says, signing off.