Soni Razdan Urges People To Celebrate An Eco-Friendly Diwali At a time when Bollywood actress Dia Mirza's Diwali video for the BMC has triggered a major controversy, Soni Razdan has spoken out against bursting firecrackers. The veteran actress, known for sharing her candid views on social media, shared a post highlighting the impact of air pollution on children's health. Pointing out the risks, she said it was perfectly alright to avoid firecrackers this festive season. According to her, not thinking about the environment and the well-being of young children is not only "anti-health" but also "anti-national". She urged everyone to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali. Soni Razdan, grandmother to three-year-old Raha Kapoor, shared a post urging people to celebrate a cracker-free Diwali. She wrote, "Any parent of a young child will tell you how much their children are suffering because of air pollution. How many school days they miss because of illness." Zoya Akhtar and several other celebrities liked her post. However, Soni turned off the comments section. This comes amid the backlash surrounding actress Dia Mirza's video promoting an environment-friendly Diwali. Dia Mirza featured in a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) campaign urging citizens not to burst firecrackers on public roads during Diwali. In the video, she said, "Diwali ki khushiyan manate waqt hume paryavaran, aur swastya ka bhi dhyan rakhna hai. Patakhon se hone wale dhwani aur vayu pradushan hum sabhi ke liye hanikarak hai. Mera aap sabhi se anurodh hai ki Diwali ko shor se nahi, khushiyon se manaiye. Aap sabhi ko Deepawali ki hardik shubhkamnayein." While Madhuri Dixit and several other celebrities also participated in similar public service announcements (PSAs), Dia's video drew criticism from some social media users and political leaders. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde also voiced her displeasure and questioned the campaign. Following the backlash, the civic body removed the video from its platforms. However, the decision sparked further debate online. On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to restore actress Mirza's deleted video promoting a safe Diwali. Criticising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for objecting to the video, a bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Dr Neela Gokhale said that it was disturbed by the comments made by politicians. The judges also reminded them that India is a secular country. Simran Khan is a fashion enthusiast and a meme connoisseur who can be found pushing the boundaries of entertainment journalism and Instagram filters. ... View More