Avneet Kaur might not be a Gujarati, but her relationship with garba goes a long way back, and that is what has strengthened her connection with the festival of Navratri. “I don’t know if I can call myself a garba pro, but I actually got to learn a lot of garba moves when I was doing Dance India Dance as I did a garba performance there. I learnt the authentic dance form and realised that garba is really difficult. Then I got to do a song with Shantanu (Maheshwari, actor) Kesariyo Rang, which is now a really popular Navratri song. So, there too I got to learn so many fun and energetic garba moves,” the actor shares.

But during these nine days, garba is all about having fun with her friends for Avneet Kaur, and interestingly, garba actually helped her make friends. “We used to live in Punjab and there were not many such celebrations there. But when we shifted to Mumbai, we got to learn about Navratri and how much it means to people. It brought people together and it is how I made friends in the city,” she says.

Elaborating further, Avneet informs, “Shifting to Mumbai was a very difficult part as there were so many changes that were happening during that time. I didn’t have any friends and I felt lonely at times. But the Navratri festival helped me as I socialised with new people and made new friends by playing garba with them. Garba is such a social celebration. Everybody gets to meet, enjoy and have a good time together while also dancing.”

The actor is in awe of the Navratri celebrations that take place in Mumbai, and she admits learning a lot from it. “Mumbai is so culturally enriched and it celebrates all of the festivals. I get a chance to learn about so many beautiful cultures that India has due to this city. Even during these nine days, there’s a different energy altogether. Being around my friends, I see how important it is to them to dress up every day and go and play garba, and do pujas. I just feel glad that I get a chance to be a part of this in some or the other way,” she says, adding, “There is a lot of excitement as the festive season has just begun. Navratri is all about happiness and celebration, and I really enjoy that.”