I'm God's favourite child: Genelia D’Souza

She loves the whole five-day countdown that began this week to culminate in what actor Genelia D’Souza terms a ‘fun favourite fest of mine.” Perhaps what makes today extra-special is that she’s going to be celebrating the day with her family — parents, younger brother Nigel and their dogs Cookie and Laika (though she grimaces at the word, cooing they’re family too) — at their Mumbai home after five years.

“Well, I’ve been a busy girl,” she grins. “It isn’t easy in Bollywood when you don’t come from a filmy family. For newcomers, it’s tough to sustain yourself because you don’t get a second chance.” But she has a support system after all. She’s deeply religious, a regular at Sunday Mass at the St Anne’s Parish nearby, and whenever the family is home a part of their evening is reserved for saying the rosary together. “My communication with God is conversational,” explains Genelia. “I think prayer is so powerful and before each of my shots I say the Blessed Sacrament — that’s what Easter is about too. It celebrates a new beginning and stands for everything that’s joyous.”

The day also takes Genelia back to her childhood. “After mass on Maundy Thursday we’d have hot-cross buns that were made and sold at the church. Every year on Ash Wednesday,  I fasted. On Holy Saturday, we went for the Easter mass at midnight. Then I did the reading of the Old and New Testament,” she tells us happily.

Then follows the “fun part”, she giggles. “It’s tradition to make eggs at home and I love the whole chocolate-dripping experience.” Is her diet going out the window today?

“No, I love it all; I think if you eat well, you live well,” she states, licking chocolate off her fingers as if on cue.

Genelia has a big wish-list for when she’ll get down to pray today. But she has counted her blessings. “I’m God’s favourite child; I believe that God has always been kind to me,” she ends.