Malavika Mohanan: Onam for me is about reconnecting with my roots

Malavika Mohanan’s gorgeous house in Mumbai is buzzing with activity for Onam. Spread over a period of 10 days, the actress takes us through the festivities at her home, fond memories and more.
Showing us the flower rangoli in her house, she says, “As a child, one of my favourite things about Onam was pookalam. On Diwali, you make rangoli with powder, on Onam we make pookalam, which is rangoli made with flowers.I remember my mom going to the market early in the morning to pick fresh flowers. My school friends would come over and we would together make the flower rangoli; it felt like an exciting craft project. As we got older, we started choosing designs, which flowers to buy, while mom got busy preparing Onam Sadhya (traditional feast for Onam).”

Having her roots in Kerala and raised in Mumbai, Malavika has had the best of both worlds. She elaborates, “Onam is essentially a harvest festival. It is one of the most celebrated festivals in Kerala. Extended 10-day festivities take place there with folk dance and performances. Temples are lit up and everything smells of flowers. I grew up in Mumbai, so I didn’t quite participate in all of this. Here, Onam is about reconnecting with your roots, Kerala silks and family lunch.”

This festival isn’t complete without the delicious Sadhya
Talking about it, Malavika explains, “Quintessential Onam Sadhya is served on a banana leaf and is purely vegetarian. It’s a very intricate process because you are cooking so many items. There are at least 10 items on the leaf. My mother is an amazing cook and makes everything from scratch. Her prep work starts two to three days in advance. If I were to name my favourite dish, it’s avial curry and pappadam.”

The traditional Kasavu sari is a hot favourite, too
The actress loves her saris and gold temple jewellery. She says, “I am a big lover and supporter of Indian textiles. We have such amazing variety. Every state has a distinctive style with Kerala having Kasavu. This is one day in the year where I go all Malayali. I love dressing up.”