Tanuja on 80 years of Durga Puja: 'Durga Maa has been with us for 80 years'
Synopsis
Veteran actress Tanuja called the 80th edition of her family's Durga Puja a milestone that deserved the grandest possible celebration — and then made it personal, drawing a direct line between Goddess Durga and the irreplaceable role of mothers. With Kajol and Tanishaa Mukerji by her side at the inauguration, the occasion was equal parts family reunion, religious tradition, and cultural landmark.
Key Takeaways
Veteran actress Tanuja described the 80th anniversary of her family's Durga Puja tradition as 'a very big thing.' The North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja was inaugurated on Durga Panchami by Tanuja, Kajol , and Tanishaa Mukerji .
Tanuja connected the worship of Goddess Durga to the importance of respecting mothers in everyday life.
Filmmaker Ayan Mukerji and actress Sharbani Mukherji also attended the family celebrations.
Kajol and Tanishaa both shared images and posts from the festivities on social media.
Veteran actress Tanuja has spoken warmly about the personal and spiritual significance of the 80th anniversary of her family's Durga Puja celebrations, calling the milestone 'a very big thing' and urging that the occasion be marked with the grandeur it deserves. The remarks came as the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja completed eight decades of an unbroken tradition rooted in her family.
Eight Decades of Devotion
Speaking about the longevity of the tradition, Tanuja reflected on what the occasion meant to her personally. 'Such a big celebration has not taken place. Because it has been 80 years since I have been doing this celebration. So, it's a very big thing that Durga Maa is with us from the last 80 years,' she said. The actress made clear that the scale of celebration should match the weight of the milestone, adding: 'The celebration of Goddess Durga should be very big. The bigger the better.'
Motherhood at the Heart of the Celebration
Tanuja drew a meaningful parallel between the worship of Goddess Durga and the role of mothers in everyday life, emphasising that maternal figures — divine or human — deserve unwavering respect. 'A mother does everything. So, a mother is the most important. So, whether it is Goddess Durga or any other Goddess, a mother should be respected. She should be respected. And we should never ignore what a mother says,' she said. The reflection added an intimate, personal dimension to what is also a large public cultural event.
Family Moment on Durga Panchami
On Durga Panchami, Tanuja was joined by her daughter and actress Kajol, and younger daughter Tanishaa Mukerji, as the family inaugurated the 80th edition of the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja together. The gathering also included filmmaker Ayan Mukerji and actress Sharbani Mukherji, cousins of Kajol and Tanishaa.
Kajol and Tanishaa Share the Celebrations
Kajol shared glimpses of the event on social media, writing: 'Today was all about #Maa in all her forms .. as a mother, as a daughter, as a protector, and as a Goddess! #jaimaadurga and the madness begins.' Tanishaa also posted several pictures from the festivities, captioning her post: 'Favorite time of the year... Maa Aasche !! Durga Maa ki joi!!' The family's collective participation underscored the puja's role as a deeply personal annual reunion as much as a public religious event.
As the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja enters its ninth decade, the tradition stands as one of Mumbai's most enduring cultural institutions, sustained by a family whose presence in Indian cinema spans generations.
Point of View
The North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja is among the oldest continuously running celebrity-associated pujas in Mumbai — and the family's insistence on personal participation, year after year, says something about how Bollywood's older guard maintains cultural identity in contrast to the industry's increasingly transactional relationship with religion. The parallel Tanuja draws between Goddess Durga and everyday motherhood is also a quiet but pointed cultural statement, shifting the frame from spectacle to something more introspective. Mainstream coverage tends to focus on the glamour of who attended; the more interesting story is an eight-decade tradition that has outlasted careers, controversies, and the churn of the film industry itself.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja?
The North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja is one of Mumbai's longest-running Durga Puja celebrations, closely associated with actress Tanuja and her family. It completed its 80th consecutive edition this year, making it one of the oldest such traditions in the city.
Why did Tanuja call the 2026 Durga Puja celebrations 'a very big thing'?
Tanuja described the celebrations as 'a very big thing' because they marked 80 unbroken years of her family's devotion to Goddess Durga. She emphasised that such a long-standing tradition warranted a celebration as grand as possible.
Who attended the inauguration of the 80th Durga Puja edition?
Actress Kajol, veteran actress Tanuja, and Tanishaa Mukerji inaugurated the 80th edition of the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja on Durga Panchami. They were also joined by filmmaker Ayan Mukerji and actress Sharbani Mukherji.
What did Kajol post about the Durga Puja celebrations?
Kajol shared images from the event on social media, writing that the day was 'all about #Maa in all her forms — as a mother, as a daughter, as a protector, and as a Goddess.' Her post was captioned with the hashtag #jaimaadurga.
What connection did Tanuja draw between Goddess Durga and motherhood?
Tanuja said that just as Goddess Durga is venerated, all mothers deserve deep respect in daily life. She stated that a mother 'does everything' and that no one should ever disregard what a mother says, linking the divine feminine to everyday familial relationships.
