It’s that time of the year when the autumn air is filled with Pujor gondho (the arrival of the festival). The bobbing heads of shiuli phool (night-flowering jasmine) and kaash phool (white, fluffy wild grass), and their fragrances wafting across acres of fields. The rhythmic beats of the dhaak (drums) and the small town smoke (the scent of frankincense) set the stage for debir agomon (the arrival of Maa Durga).
What’s interesting is how, as we grow up, the feeling and understanding of Pujo evolve. For a Bengali, these five days of festivities mark euphoria at its peak. In childhood, it’s all about who buys how many outfits and a roadmap for pandal hopping. As we grow up and move to other cities, the feeling of Pujo is imbued with nostalgia, memories of simpler times and the yearning to feel at home again.
That’s what happened when I moved to Mumbai and had to be in the city for work during Pujo in 2024. While this festival has now traversed oceans and countries, and the enthusiasm is as much in New York’s Times Square as it is amid the bustling crowds of Kolkata and Mumbai, the city, with its crores of people, offered an experience I can never forget. For a movie buff like me, and an entertainment journalist at that, I had heard plenty about the famous Mukherjee Durga Pujo in Mumbai, popularly known as the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja.
One of the oldest, grandest and most star-studded Durga Pujo celebrations, it also marks its 80th year in 2026.
What Is The Legacy?
The pujo was established in 1948 by Padma Shri Sashadhar Mukerji (the legendary co-founder of Bombay Talkies and Filmistan Studios), along with his wife Satirani Mukerji, J.M. Bhadra and other family members.
Back then, it was nothing close to the large-scale event it has become today. Today, the destination is more of a gathering place for people looking to witness their favourite stars attend the celebrations arranged by their industry friends.
As the decades passed, the responsibilities and leadership were passed down through family flagbearers like Ram Mukherjee and Deb Mukherjee. Today, however, the pandal, famous for hosting one of Mumbai’s largest and most intricately crafted eco-friendly idols (traditionally sculpted by artisans like Amit Pal), is equally known for the massive star attraction and annual footfall it generates.
The ‘Star Power’ Of The Mukherjee Durga Puja In Mumbai
I had seen glimpses of it through Instagram reels and posts on X, but to experience it in person-as fans yelped, screamed and cheered at even the briefest glimpse of their favourite stars-was a sight like no other. Definitely not at a Pujo pandal I had grown up visiting.
What it offered was a rare sight, an access of sorts for fans to see their favourite icons as humble devotees carrying on with their ancestral traditions.
Bollywood superstars and cousins Rani Mukerji and Kajol, along with the extended clan including Ayan Mukerji, Tanishaa Mukerji, Sharbani Mukherjee and veteran actress Tanuja, are all involved in organising and greeting guests. From unveiling the majestic 17-foot Maa Durga idol to dancing to the beats of the dhaak and participating in sindoor Khelait is something you won’t get to see on the big screen as unfiltered as you do at the pandal.
Speaking of how this is the time when the whole family comes together, Kajol told News, “For us, Durga Pujo is first and foremost about our devotion to Maa Durga. It’s a time when we come together as a family, offer our prayers, and seek her blessings. Over the years, the Pujo may have grown and changed in many ways, but the faith at its heart remains the same.”
She added, “In many ways, I am still that child standing in front of my mother, with shining eyes and absolute trust. What is truly beautiful is seeing thousands of people come to the pandal with so much faith in their hearts. Everyone comes with their own prayers and hopes, but the devotion is the same. The love people have for our family is very special, but what makes this celebration truly meaningful is the faith that brings everyone together. I think that is the real legacy of our Pujo, and something we hope to carry forward for generations.”
But all these are what you get to see in the clips that swamp your social media.
In 2024, when I stepped onto the massive grounds heading to the iconic pandal, I was far away from any celeb spotting. In front of me were thousands of people who, I suppose, had come for the same reason that I did.
Maybe I’ll get to see Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. They are director Ayan Mukerji’s best friends, after all, and this is his family’s legacy.
Maybe I’ll spot Jaya Bachchan and Kajol laughing away as they joke with the media, hoping to capture their candid moments.
What I saw, though, was an ocean of people and the towering idol of Durga Maa on a stage farther away.
The Bollywood Junction, Pujo Style
The Mukherjee Durga Pujo went from being a local neighbourhood gathering to a large-scale phenomenon as the mantle was carried forward by the Mukherjee-Samrat family over the decades, along with younger generations of the family.
It generates over five lakh visitors yearly, but what, to me, made the Mukherjee bari pujo different from other heavily barricaded VIP pandals was its homely and welcoming atmosphere. Here, it became one big community.
Today, it is a multi-day cultural and charitable venue where every devotee is welcomed with open arms.
One of the greatest attractions of the place is also the celebrity bhog serve. A massive sit-down where Kajol, Rani and Ayan can often be seen wearing aprons and personally serving bhog (blessed community food) to visiting devotees and media personnel. Everyone is urged not to leave before having their bhog.
To me, though, it was a mini Kolkata in Juhu. It was always the food stalls that we used to run to as kids right after offering our prayers to Maa Durga. As I walked past the pandal, I made my way to the series of stalls set up right outside the shrine, and it was truly a delicious haven of sorts for Bengalis. From spicy Kolkata-style phuchkas and chicken rolls to ilish fry and nolen gur rasgullas, the attention to detail and the effort to ensure that every devotee visiting the Mukherjee celebrations could take a piece of Kolkata back with them felt heartfelt.
That my wish to spot a celebrity remained unfulfilled did not matter, because it felt as though their devotion and faith were simply in the air. With 80 years behind them, our favourite stars enjoying and celebrating Durga Pujo with the same fervour as ordinary people has left a massive footprint on Mumbai’s cultural fabric.
In many ways, what the star power of the Mukherjee Pujo celebrations probably does every year, as it did to me when I visited, is blur the lines between fans and their favourite stars. This is beyond cinema. This is more of a tangible experience. Everyone knows Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Ayan Mukerji, to name a few. But here, they get to know you too.
It is a visceral experience of sorts that cannot be put into words. But for a movie buff, having that direct connection with some of my favourite stars, and knowing that this was their creation, amped up my excitement for the festival so much more.
As another year passes and I reside in a different city, I fondly remember the ‘celebrity’ Durga Pujo I got to attend. To put the visuals together and understand what makes its star attraction a legacy of devotion ‘on camera’ was a treat for the cinephile in me.
And with that, I shall continue to hope – “Aasche bochor abar hobe.” (The hopeful cry of “It will happen again next year!”)