Ramzan Special | Falaq Naazz: Ruhafza takes me back to my childhood

FOr doer Falak Naazz, Ramzan is non simply a month of fasting, but a deep personal journeying woven with childhood memories, family rituals and more.Falaq Naaz says, "For many, festivals are occasions marked on a calendar. For some, they are experiences that shape memory, identity, and faith. For me, it is something I look forward to, and every festival has a different charm." She adds: “I wait the whole year for this month. The kind of serene peace this month brings, it’s exceptional."Ramzan, holds a deeply personal significance for Falaq as she says, "Getting up early in the morning and fasting together brings a lot of joy.” When asked about a childhood iftar memory that still lingers, her response is immediate and affectionate. “Of course, it’s not a dish actually, it’s a drink. We call it Ruhafza. Even today, when I smell the fragrance of Ruhafza, the childhood memories come alive. For me, Ramzan is incomplete without Ruhafza.” She adds: "Ramzan is all about spending time with the people who matter the most. Spending time with my family, together during Ramzan always feels different." Falaq asserts, one such memory that stands our is spending time at her grandmothers house. "We stayed at our grandma’s place. As she is no more with us, we miss her a lot, specially during Ramzan.” She elaborates, "She used to wake everyone up early. Even if no one had to fast, it was mandatory to get up. You couldn’t do anything about it.” There were other rituals too, woven into the soundscape of her childhood says Falaq. "There used to be drums playing in the streets in the morning in Ramzan, wake up, wake up. I miss that drum also." Not all memories, however, are not warm and pleasant, shares Falaq. Recalling her first fast the actor says, was shaped by hardship. "The meaning of Ramzan is to be patient. I think my first Ramzan was like that. At the time, things were not great at home, and we were going through a financial crisis. The situation at home was very bad. There was nothing to eat,” Falaq recalls. Traditionally, a child’s first fast is celebrated, but circumstances did not allow for festivity. "We couldn’t celebrate it. We were told, ‘It’s okay, if there is nothing to eat, keep the fast. Allah is with those who are patient’.” Over the years, the meaning of Ramzan has evolved for her. "Of course, it has changed. Ramzan teaches you to think beyond yourself. It’s not just about fasting, it’s about helping those who don’t have enough. Even when we had very little, we were taught to give whatever we could. Charity doesn’t have to be big, it just has to come from the heart.”She adds, “Before Ramzan, I think about what I should do for others. I love doing iftar for other people. So I think, let me arrange the iftar for them."l