Mumbai, March 14 : Popular television actress Isha Malviya follows a special tradition every year while playing Holi and says that she always begins by 'praying and applying gulaal' to God first.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a ritual, but it's a habit I've followed every year ' I always begin by praying and applying gulal to God first. That's something I never skip. Thereafter, we start our Holi celebrations.'

Another special tradition she shared is her grandmother's homemade gujiyas and other Indian snacks.

'Even when I'm in Mumbai, she makes sure to send them to me ' it's a tradition that brings me so much comfort and joy," she added.

The 'Udaariyaan' star took a trip down memory lane and recalled enjoying the festival of colors in her village, Narmadapura, Madhya Pradesh.

"My most memorable Holi was when I was around 12-13 years old, celebrating with my family in Madhya Pradesh. Back then, we were all together, and no one had to leave for work or other commitments.'

She stopped playing Holi with family due to her career.

As I grew older and moved out of my hometown to pursue my career, I started celebrating Holi without my family members almost every year from the age of 16-17. But those childhood celebrations were truly special. We used to plan everything in our village in Narmadapura, and it was always full of fun and chaos'those memories are incredibly precious to me," she said.

She agrees that on-screen Holi is vastly different from real-life celebrations.

"In real life, you just play, have fun, and don't worry about anything. But on set, it's a task'you have to look good even while playing Holi. The colours have to be applied in a very balanced and proportionate way, especially on the cheeks.'

'We often have to shoot the same scene multiple times, and we're more focused on delivering our lines and maintaining our appearance than just freely enjoying the festival," she said.

/IANS