Gudi Padwa 2026: Ishita Dutta and Vatsal Sheth mark festival with neem ritual

Ishita Dutta and Vatsal Sheth celebrated the auspicious festival of Gudi Padwa with a unique twist.Marking the Maharashtrian New Year, Vatsal decided to consume a mixture of bitter Neem leaves. The 'Taarzan: The Wonder Car' actor explained that drinking the mixture symbolizes accepting all the experiences of life - good and the bad.Vatsal took to his official Instagram handle and uploaded a video of him drinking the bitter mixture in front of his wife, Ishita.Before having the drink, he offered it to his wife, but she refused. When he finally had the drink, Varsal gave his verdict saying, "It's not that bad...it's not that bad".

"On Gudi Padwa, consuming a mixture of bitter neem leaves, symbolizes accepting all of life's experiences-joys and sorrows-with equal grace.

This tradition marks the start of the Maharashtrian New Year (sic)," he captioned the post.For those who do not know, Vatsal and Ishita first met on the set of the show "Rishton Ka Saudagar - Baazigar", and soon fell for one another.After dating for some time, the two finally tied the knot back in 2017 in an intimate ceremony in Mumbai.The couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy, in July 2023.In June 2025, they once again embraced parenthood as they were blessed with baby girl Veda.

Ishita often uses social media to share her motherhood journey with her Instagram family.In February, Ishita provided a glimpse into her life as a mother by dropping a heartfelt note about accepting both the chaos and joy that come with parenting.The 'Drishyam' actress uploaded a selfie on her Insta, and penned, "Life as a mom... Messy hair, toys everywhere, a never-ending to-do list, stickers in places they don't belong and yet, somehow, this is happiness in its purest form."