Amit Poddar, who plays Jay Vajpayee in Rahul Kumar Tewary and Rolling Tales Production's Ram Bhavan on Colors, shares his fondness for Holi, the festival of colors, and how he celebrates it with enthusiasm.
"Holi is my favorite festival, and for me, the most important thing is drinking thandai. Whether the colors are dry or wet, it doesn’t matter to me—I just want to enjoy the festival, play with colors, and have a great meal afterward," says the actor, radiating excitement for the occasion.
For Amit, wearing white is an essential part of the Holi experience. "According to me, you should always wear white clothes on Holi because only then will the colors appear vibrant. If you wear colorful clothes beforehand, then what's the point? Colors look the best on white, which is why I usually prefer wearing white during Holi."
Food plays a big role in Holi celebrations, and Amit enjoys the traditional delicacies, though he has his preferences. "I love everything that is made on Holi. However, I don’t particularly enjoy dishes that are both fried and overly sweet. In my hometown, we make a dish called pua, which is sweet and deep-fried, and I love it. Other than that, I prefer mildly sweet or savory snacks like gujiya and chakli."
As an actor, skincare is a priority for him. "If I have a shoot scheduled soon after and the colors don’t come off easily, it becomes a problem because not all Holi colors are organic. My father, who is no longer in this world, always advised me to apply a generous amount of moisturizer or coconut oil before playing Holi. I still follow this practice, as it makes removing colors much easier. The same goes for my hair—I do a proper oil massage before Holi to prevent colors from sticking too much."
Reminiscing about his childhood pranks, Amit confesses, "The night before Holi, my friends and I would climb onto rooftops and pour color into people's water tanks. The next day, their taps would run colored water all day long! Looking back, I realize it was wrong, but at that time, it felt like fun. Another prank we used to do was at a nearby school and coaching institute. We would climb the wall, go near the ventilator, and blow color powder inside. The next morning, when students switched on the fans, the color would spread all over their benches and clothes! Watching their reactions was hilarious. But now, I feel guilty about wasting so much water. It feels like a sin to me."
Speaking about water balloons, he has a firm stance. "I was never a big fan of water balloons because they can hurt people. If you throw one at someone, it can cause pain and even start fights. Also, in high-rise buildings, when kids throw water balloons from above, the impact can be quite strong. It all depends on their quality and how they are used, but honestly, I don’t think they’re a great idea."
As for his preference between dry and wet colors, Amit shares, "I prefer gulal (dry colors) because once you're soaked in water, it becomes difficult to carry on playing for long. However, what’s most important to me is that the colors, whether dry or wet, should be completely organic and chemical-free."
On a final note, when asked what color best represents him, Amit thoughtfully responds, "If I had to describe myself as a color, I would choose yellow because, according to psychology, yellow represents happiness and energy. When people see this color, they feel positive and cheerful. I want the same for myself—I want people to feel happy and positive when they see me. So, yellow is my color!"