Nov 07, 2026 5:00pm IST
Radhika Apte and Keerthy Suresh Urge People to Avoid Firecrackers This Diwali (EXCLUSIVE)
For Radhika Apte and Keerthy Suresh, the joy of Diwali lies in its lights and festivities, not the sound of firecrackers. In a conversation with Variety India, the actors urge people to embrace a quieter and pollution-free celebration.
Apte says that if she had the power to change one thing in India for a day, she would stop people from bursting firecrackers. “I’d say, please don’t burn firecrackers. I’m trying to put a message there. Let’s all have a peaceful Diwali. Not just us, but also the animals and babies,” she says.
Suresh, meanwhile, recalls how her perspective on firecrackers changed after she became a pet parent. The actor makes sure her dogs, Nyke, Kenny and Dorothy, are taken away from the city during Diwali so they can spend the festivities in a quieter environment.
“I used to burst crackers back then. But after I had my first dog, I felt really bad for what we have been doing all these years. It is horrendous,” she says. Explaining how she handles the situation every year, she adds, “Every Diwali, I have to make sure my boys are taken somewhere far from the city so that they can stay peacefully for those two to three days.”
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Apte also highlights the worsening air quality in Mumbai and across India, stressing the need to rethink firecracker celebrations. “We don’t have any trees left. AQI is crazy right now in Mumbai. We need to stop burning firecrackers,” she says.
Comparing the social perception of firecrackers to cigarette smoking, Apte says she hopes bursting crackers eventually becomes “uncool”, much like smoking has in several countries. She believes changing people’s attitudes towards the practice is key to bringing about a larger shift.
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