As Ganeshotsav came to a close this week, actress Soha Ali Khan shared a glimpse of a quieter, more personal celebration at home. Her video, featuring daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu and husband Kunal Kemmu, shows how festive traditions can be passed on to children while staying mindful of the environment.
Made by Hand, at Home
The video shows Inaaya getting hands-on with the festivities as she shapes a small Ganpati idol from clay. Kunal is seen helping with the idol-making. In another part of the video, Soha sits alongside Inaaya as she takes part in the puja and the immersion ritual.
A Visarjan That Ends in the Garden
The family chose an eco-friendly way to bid farewell to Bappa. Instead of immersing the idol in a natural water body, they placed it in a tub filled with water and flowers at home. Once the clay idol dissolved, the water was used to nourish the plants.
Soha shared the video with the caption: "From our hands to our home, and from our home back to the earth. A little Ganpati, a lot of love."
Why It Matters: The Timing and the Scale
The post arrives at the end of this year's festival. Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 began on September 14, and the final visarjan on Anant Chaturdashi fell on Friday, September 25.
In Mumbai, immersion is a massive civic exercise, and the city has been steadily shifting it away from natural water bodies. This year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) installed more than 383 artificial immersion ponds across the city. That is a sharp jump from last year, when Anant Chaturdashi immersions were spread across 65 natural water bodies and 205 artificial ponds, with around 6,500 public Ganpati idols and 1.75 lakh household idols immersed on that day alone.
Soha's family took the idea one step further. Instead of an artificial pond, the immersion happened in a tub at home, and the water went back into their plants. At the scale of a city like Mumbai, every household that makes a similar switch reduces pressure on its lakes and seafront.
Not a One-Off: Soha's Green Streak
The video fits a pattern in Soha's recent social media presence. Last November, she raised the alarm over worsening air quality as AQI hit severe levels in several cities, calling for systemic changes. Around the same time, she shared that she had started growing her own micro-greens. The Ganpati video extends that same interest in sustainable living to the festival season.
Industry Impact: When Celebrities Model the Change
Eco-friendly Ganpati has been a steady public campaign for years, but it tends to spread fastest through visible examples. A celebrity family showing the whole process on video, from shaping the idol to watering plants with the dissolved clay, makes the idea feel simple and achievable. For many parents, it also offers a practical activity that turns the festival into a hands-on lesson for children.
On the Work Front: Soha Ali Khan
Soha began her acting career with the 2004 romantic comedy Dil Maange More and is best known for Rang De Basanti and Ahista Ahista. She has also written a book, The Perils of Being Moderately Famous, published in 2017.
Most recently, she was seen in the horror drama Chhorii 2, playing Daasi Maa. Directed by Vishal Furia, the sequel to the 2021 thriller Chhorii released on April 11, 2025, with Nushrratt Bharuccha in the lead. Soha is next set to star in the upcoming film Bridge.
On the Work Front: Kunal Kemmu
Kunal's career spans nearly four decades. He started as a child actor in the Doordarshan series Gul Gulshan Gulfaam in 1987 and made his film debut in Mahesh Bhatt's Sir in 1993. As a child artist, he appeared in films such as Raja Hindustani, Zakhm, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke and Dushman, before playing the lead in Mohit Suri's Kalyug in 2005.
In recent years, he has moved behind the camera. He made his directorial debut in 2024 with the comedy Madgaon Express. His second directorial, the action-comedy Vibe, which he has also written, stars him alongside Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava. In a family connection, Soha's mother Sharmila Tagore makes a special appearance in the film.
On streaming, Netflix has renewed his comedy series Single Papa for a second season.
Audience Sentiment: A Family Moment Fans Connect With
The video's appeal lies in how ordinary it looks. There is no grand pandal or procession, just a family working together at home, in the middle of a busy professional year for both parents. That warmth, combined with a clear environmental message, is the kind of festive content that tends to resonate widely.
The Bigger Picture: Raising Inaaya With Two Traditions
Soha and Kunal have often spoken about raising Inaaya in a multicultural, multifaith household. Soha comes from a Muslim family, while Kunal comes from a Hindu family. The couple, who married in January 2015 and welcomed Inaaya in September 2017, have spoken about celebrating traditions from both backgrounds with their daughter.
In a conversation with IANS, Kunal had shared how he and Soha approach parenting without letting societal expectations dictate their choices. This year's Ganpati video reflects that approach in action.
The Bottom Line
A little clay, a tub of water and a few flowers were all it took. Soha Ali Khan's family celebration shows that a festival's meaning does not depend on its size, and that a greener goodbye to Bappa can begin at home.
