Jackky Bhagnani, Juhi Chawla, Jackie Shroff, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Shilpa Shetty have a passion for sustainable living
The pandemic was a turning point for the human race as it brought the collective focus back on fundamental questions about the health of the planet, climate change and food choices. During the quarantine, many of us applied ourselves to exploring how we could be healthier and celebrities were no exception. Many of them started experimenting with new recipes and growing their own kitchen gardens to cook homegrown produce. Here are a few names from this select tribe of stars who take great pride in the fruits and vegetables they grow right at home.
Jackky Bhagnani
Power couple, Jackky Bhagnani and his wife Rakul Preet Singh are passionate about fitness, clean eating and health. While researching modern agricultural practices, Jackky was shocked to discover the extent to which pesticides have seeped into our food chain. This led to embracing sustainable living and cultivating a kitchen garden from scratch on his terrace. He grows a multitude of vegetables, herbs and fruits on his terrace now and swears by the health benefits, nutrition and taste that he is able to enjoy now, thanks to the homegrown organic produce. He also swears by the therapeutic nature of gardening which has now led him to ideate ways in which local farmers can be supported. He now advises fans to start small and start their kitchen gardens in their balconies or backyards.
Juhi Chawla
Celebrated actor Juhi Chawla’s passion for gardening was also kindled during the quarantine and now she often shares snapshots of her kitchen garden on her social media. She proudly shares pictures of her abundant harvest of various vegetables and herbs, including coriander, fenugreek, and tomatoes. She also spent a considerable amount of time farming at her Wada (Palghar) property and even invited farmers to farm on the chemical-free soil. She is also a passionate environmentalist and plants trees wherever possible.
Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Actor-turned-entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty is a fitness icon who also shares her culinary and gardening exploits on social media. There are multiple videos of her organic kitchen garden where she grows fruits and vegetables including lemons, lettuce, bell peppers, brinjals, avocado, various greens and herbs. She has also started hydroponic farming (A technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil) and considers growing her own food as a practice integral to her health and wellness journey.
Jackie Shroff
Jackie Shroff is known to gift his favourite spider plant to friends, colleagues and acquaintances and is also devoted to his organic farm at Chandkhed, (a village between Mumbai and Pune) where he nurtures over 21 varieties of rice, various plants, trees, and herbs. His social media initiative, ‘Ped Lagao Bhidu,’ encourages his followers to engage in tree plantation initiatives. He has his own kitchen garden on his terrace, is a great cook and loves stirring up wholesome recipes from homegrown produce. He is no gardening novice and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the scientific names of plants as well as their medicinal properties. He has also been reading books about heritage farming.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu
The pictures and videos of her balcony and terrace garden, prove that actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu has enviable green fingers. Samantha has been growing various vegetables and fruits in her home garden, including sweet potatoes and also initiated a #GrowWithMe challenge. This was to encourage fans to start their gardening initiatives and grow their food. She is also deeply knowledgeable about cooking and gardening and often shares her tips on nursing healthy saplings, seed selection, sowing techniques, and transplanting seedlings. She has also switched to a plant-based diet and endorses clean, local produce.
