Dev to Rituparna Sengupta: How religious are our Tolly celebs?

There are some who believe in the supernatural, some, in karma, and some who pray every day. Some, however, remember god only when the chips are down. We asked the Tolly celebs about their beliefs. Here’s what they told us.

I’m religious, as I was born in a conservative family. We’re supposed to offer namaz five times a day, but I fail to do that because of my hectic schedule. However, it’s a must once a day, as it gives me strength and courage. Whenever I step out of home, I put my left foot first. That’s what my mother taught me. And ahead of any performance or shoot, I recite the duas, as they give me confidence.

I am religious, but I see it more like a relationship — one based on love, respect and trust. I trust that he’s always watching my back. And in turn, god has given me the free will to live life on my own terms. I also fight with him a lot, but we always patch up. It’s not that I worship him every day, but I connect with him spiritually whenever I can. To me, god is my best friend, so I am god-loving but not god-fearing.

I believe in a supernatural power and know that there’s someone up there, watching us 24x7. I’m a god-loving person, but not a fanatic. We celebrate all pujas at home but don’t go overboard with anything. Be it Ma Durga or Lord Jagannath, I worship all. Every day, before stepping out, I offer my prayers; visiting our thakur ghor after the morning bath is a must.

I’m an extremely religious person; both god-fearing and god-loving. My deity is Lord Jagannath, who I pray to every day right after taking a bath. I thank him for the new day and ask for his guidance; it’s kind of a superstition for me. And whenever I get time, I fly to Puri and visit Jagannath temple. When that’s not possible, I visit the Jagannath temple in Kidderpore.

I’m not superstitious in any way, but I do believe in some supernatural power that looks after us 24x7. I also strongly believe in karma — if you do good to people, the positive karma will come back to you. I also celebrate all festivals, be it Durga Puja, Eid or Christmas, with fervour. I have a small temple at home and every day, after taking bath, I offer my prayers to god.

I believe god is everywhere and within us too. Lord Jagannath and Lord Shiva are my friends, rather than gods. They are on my mind whenever I have time. But yes, every day, before going to sleep, I talk to both of them. But then again, I don’t believe in fasting for any puja and don’t visit temples before my film’s release. I find the latter act very selfish. According to me, god knows what we want and does what’s best for us!

I’m a staunch believer of Lord Krishna, who’s part and parcel of my life. He keeps me going and I make sure I offer him my prayers at least twice a day — once in the morning and before going to bed at night. I also take him along (a small idol) wherever I go. In fact, the first thing I do before sitting for makeup is install my Krishna idol in front of the mirror in my van. Moreover, I take his name every time I hear the sound of a conch, even if it’s on TV!