Mumbai, Nov 1 (IANS): For actress Maanvi Gagroo, Diwali is all about spending time with family, friends and indulging in food, even if it means cheating on the diet.

“Diwali is one of my favourite festivals, and it has always been about friends and family,” she expressed.

The actress added: “You get dressed up, visit each other’s homes, exchange gifts, enjoy delicious food, dance, play cards—it's an excuse to spend quality time together and have fun without feeling any guilt. It’s also a time to indulge in food, even if it means cheating on your diet.”

Maanvi also emphasised the importance of safety during the festivities.

The actress, who is an ardent animal lover, said: “While she’s not particularly scared at home, she does get a little startled when we take her for walks during Diwali because of the firecrackers. It’s essential to celebrate Diwali safely, as it involves playing with fire.”

“I love lighting candles, which is actually my favourite part of decorating my house for Diwali, but you have to be extremely careful,” she says.

How does she celebrate the festival of lights?

“I do light up my house and decorate it with flowers, diyas, and candles. On Diwali day, it is relatively quiet compared to the festivities of the week. We spend time with family at home, perform a little pooja, and start getting ready in the afternoon. We clean the house to ensure it looks beautiful, take pictures, do the pooja, and then continue with our day.”

The actress started her career with “Dhoom Machaao Dhoom” in 2007. She was then seen in series such as “TVF Pitchers”, “TVF Tripling”, “Made in Heaven” and “Four More Shots Please!”

In 2019, she portrayed the character of a plus size woman in a comedy movie “Ujda Chaman” opposite Sunny Singh. She has worked with Ayushmann Khurrana in “Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan”, which dealt with the subject of same-sex love.