Alia Bhatt’s magenta Durga Puja look joins a Bollywood ritual

Mumbai’s North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samity has long been more than a pandal. It is where Bollywood bows its head, meets the family, and occasionally picks up a microphone. On Monday, it was Alia Bhatt’s turn.

The actor arrived with filmmaker Ayan Mukerji in a magenta pink saree and a turquoise blue blouse with puffed sleeves. Gold bangles, matching earrings and a bindi finished the look, while her hair was pinned into a bun with pink and blue flowers. Pictures from the pandal showed her posing easily with devotees, and the whole appearance felt less like a photo call than a festival visit.

The outfit also gave fans a simple festive formula: a bright saree, a contrasting blouse, traditional jewellery, and flowers in the bun. That is exactly the kind of look that travels from a celebrity pandal to a home celebration without losing its charm.

A festive week, not just a one-day appearance

Alia’s visit came after husband Ranbir Kapoor had already made the same pandal his stage. On Mahasaptami, Saturday, October 17, he joined singer Harshdeep Kaur to perform Kabira, the popular song from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Fans cheered as he sang along, barefoot and tilak-marked, before the 17-foot idol of Goddess Durga.

Ranbir wore a maroon embroidered short kurta with cream wide-leg trousers. Ayan, who directed Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, walked with him in a royal blue kurta and white pyjamas. A video from the venue showed Ranbir waving, blowing flying kisses and shaking hands with the crowd.

The pandal Bollywood calls home

The venue carries real family weight. Ayan’s grandfather, producer Sashadhar Mukherjee, established the samity with relatives in 1948. Commonly known as the Mukherjee family Durga Puja, it is managed by the extended family, including cousins Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Tanishaa Mukerji, and it remains an annual festive gathering point for the Hindi film industry.

• Founded in 1948 by Sashadhar Mukherjee and family members.
• Run by the Mukherjee family, including Kajol, Rani and Tanishaa Mukerji.
• A yearly gathering point for the Hindi film industry.

That lineage explains why a pandal visit can feel like a homecoming rather than a promotional stop.

From Kabira to Brahmastra and beyond

The Ranbir-Ayan bond stretches across films. Ayan directed Ranbir in Wake Up Sid (2009), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva (2022), which was also Ranbir and Alia’s first film together. Alia has Brahmastra Part 2 lined up with Ranbir.

She was recently seen in Alpha with Sharvari and produced Don’t Be Shy. Her Love & War and Tumbbad 2 are scheduled for 2027. Ranbir, meanwhile, will next appear as Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, arriving in cinemas on November 5, 2026.

Why this matters for fans

These festive sightings are not just wardrobe moments. They keep a long-running film-family ritual alive, and they remind viewers that Bollywood’s biggest names still turn up for the same pandals their parents and grandparents attended. That mix of glamour and continuity is what makes Mumbai’s Durga Puja feel different.

For fans, the photos also show stars in a softer register. Alia’s bindi, bun and bangles felt closer to pandal tradition than to a red-carpet brief, and that is precisely the appeal.

Source: India Today