Vidisha Srivastava, aka Anita Bhabi from &TV’s cult comedy show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, recently visited her hometown, Varanasi, to seek blessings at the world-famous Kashi Vishwanath temple on Mahashivratri. Apart from witnessing the celebrations and the city’s hustle and bustle, Vidisha went down memory lane as she walked the old bylanes of her 100-year-old house. An overjoyed Vidisha (Anita Bhabi) shares, “This trip to Kashi has been the most exciting and memorable. I was so gun-ho right from the start as I was coming back to my hometown. I got to seek blessings at Kashi Vishwanath, catch up with my friends and family, and relive childhood memories. Walking down the old Kabir Chaura lanes, I was emotional and excited. A lot has changed over time. We have a 100-year-old house in Kabir Chaura where four generations have lived. I feel proud to have been brought up in a place home to famous poets like Sant Kabir, Indian musicians and dancers Kishan Maharaj, Gopi Krishan, Samta Prasad, and the brothers Rajan and Sajan Mishra. The kids playing in the lane came running to me, and several people gathered around on the streets and their balconies. That moment was surreal and brought back beautiful memories. My life flashed before me as we inched closer to the house and opened the door. Despite significant infrastructure development, the vibe of the place remains unchanged. Our old neighbours were pleasantly surprised to see me, and they all came out of their houses to greet me. We took many selfies together. Then I went to the terrace, one of my favourite spots. I used to spend hours and hours there. I noticed my tenants’ pappads drying in the sun and remembered my mother, who used to leave papads to dry. My siblings and I would be responsible for shooing the birds (laughs).”
Elaborating on exploring the city and meeting her childhood friends, Vidisha shares, “Childhood friends are always most special and best of all friendships. I met my friends after a decade. We started from where we left off. We didn’t feel that we were meeting after such a long time. We spoke endlessly about our good old days and all the mischief we used to do. We then headed to our all-time favourite, “Kashi Chaat Bhandar”, and gorged on our favourite Tamatar Chaat and Gol Gappe. We also visited the Ganga Ghat and took a boat ride during sunset. It is a must-do and always so fun and fascinating. As we geared to leave the city, I was quite emotional but happy and content to make more beautiful memories with a promise to return to Beneras soon.”
Watch Vidisha Srivastava as Anita Bhabi in &TV’s Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, airing every Monday to Friday at 10:30 pm!
