Aruna Irani on Navratri, fasting, and feminine power: Goddess Durga has always given me strength to fight life’s battles - Exclusive

Aruna Irani is a name synonymous with grace, dedication, and hard work. As the festival of Navratri approaches and feminine power is celebrated across the nation, ETimes spoke to the veteran actress who not only believes in divine feminine energy but also embodies it.

With having more than 500 films to her credit, Aruna has been part of the industry for more than 6 decades now.“Like everyone else, I too am a big devotee of Mata Rani. Though I have never been to Vaishno Devi, I often visit Ambaji and another Mata temple near Baroda. This 10-day festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion in our family. I used to observe nine days of fasting during Navratri. However, in recent years I had to give it up due to health concerns.

I am diabetic, which prevents me from keeping such long fasts. But I firmly believe that the goddess continues to shower her blessings upon me,” she shared.

Fasting during the dance sequence

Talking about her fasting rituals, Aruna added, “I come from a family that followed all the traditional festivals and rituals. We used to fast for a month during Shravan and also for nine days during Navratri; we did pujas and offered prasad to the almighty. I began fasting at a very young age.

In fact, I even observed fasts during my shooting days. Those were particularly challenging times because I often performed major dance numbers in films, and dancing while fasting was not easy.

However, Goddess Durga has always blessed me with the energy and zeal to perform, even on fasting days.”

Aruna believes in divine power

Reflecting on her belief in divine power, she said, “I don’t believe in magic, but I do believe in the pure feminine power that exists. It has given me immense energy to fight, to struggle, and to remain resilient in my life. There is a special force that gives everyone the courage to face challenges and swim through hardships.”Aruna Irani was last seen in Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon starrer, 'Ghudchadi'.