MUMBAI: While everyone is talking about having a low-key celebration this Diwali, producer Mahesh Pandey is a bit relaxed because he says he never had a grand celebration for the festival. However, he shared that he along with his wife and son always performed Lakshmi puja at home with utmost devotion and dedication.

He also revealed that he will miss playing card games with his friends this year.

"There won't be much of a difference for me this Diwali because I never indulged in having big celebrations on Diwali. Madhu and I have always performed puja at home and it has always been a family affair for me. We have never gone out. It will be the same simple Diwali for me. We won't be burning any crackers. In the previous years, I used to get a few crackers for my son, Bihaan, but this year we are not doing that too. And we are not organising any card parties at home too. So these are the two things that will be different this year, otherwise, it will be the same," he said. 

Mahesh's show "Gupta Brothers" went on-air last month. Talking about celebrating the festival of lights in the show, he said that it cannot be a grand one considering the current pandemic situation. "It's not possible to include so many dramatics in the show, especially in the current times. We cannot have a huge crowd too. It will be a very basic Diwali sequence and we will have to move forward with this because safety is more important. I think this change is good," he said.

Sharing his views on how the pandemic has not just affected our daily lives, but also the grandeur at which we celebrated any festival, he said, "The biggest lesson that the pandemic and the lockdown taught us is the difference between necessity and luxury. It taught us that if you can survive without something then it's not your need. We took the necessities for granted."

"I am someone who lives in the present, but this pandemic taught me to always have a plan. I also believe that this pandemic has made all of us much wiser," Mahesh added.