Bollywood Ganpati Visarjan 2026: Salman’s Aarti Moment, Shilpa’s Dhol Dance and Govinda’s Family Celebration Go Viral
Salman Khan’s sister Arpita corrected him during the family aarti, Shilpa Shetty took over the dhol, and Govinda joined son Yashvardhan for visarjan. Sanjay Dutt’s interaction with an injured photographer also drew attention, while a separate Nana Patekar charity anecdote resurfaced online.
Bollywood stars’ Ganpati Visarjan celebrations in 2026, including family aarti, dhol performances and festival moments
Table of Contents (16 sections)
Bollywood’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations have generated a fresh wave of widely shared videos from Mumbai, with Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Govinda and their families among the celebrities attracting attention during the first round of Ganpati visarjan ceremonies.
Ganesh Chaturthi began on September 14, 2026, and a number of celebrity households carried out their one-and-a-half-day visarjan on September 15. Videos from those celebrations were subsequently circulated by entertainment publications and photographers across social platforms.
Several of the viral claims circulating about the stars are supported by current reporting. Others require additional context.
Salman Khan was indeed corrected by his sister Arpita Khan while performing aarti. Shilpa Shetty was filmed playing a dhol and dancing during her family celebration. Govinda participated in visarjan with son Yashvardhan while Sunita Ahuja was absent from that particular appearance.
Sanjay Dutt’s widely praised interaction with an injured photographer is also genuine, although reports place it during a Ganpati darshan visit rather than a visarjan ceremony.
Recommended Reading
Related Stories & In-Depth Guides
Curated editorial perspectives matching this topic.
Mirzapur: The Movie opens strong with ~₹56 crore in two days while the ₹2-crore budget Hanuman Ansh crosses the ₹100-crore mark in its fifth week. Two very different box-office success stories.
Drishyam 3 entered its first Saturday after a reported ₹66.75 crore India-net opening. Saturday advance bookings had reached ₹12.37 crore gross in an October 2 snapshot. Here is the Day 2 outlook.
The Nana Patekar story is different again: the ₹1.5-crore anecdote circulating this week is a newly published recollection of an earlier act, not evidence that Patekar has just made a fresh ₹1.5-crore donation.
Key Takeaways
Salman Khan attended Ganpati visarjan at brother Sohail Khan’s residence on September 15, where sister Arpita Khan corrected the direction of his aarti.
Shilpa Shetty celebrated with her family, danced to dhol beats and was filmed playing the dhol herself; reports also showed her interacting and dancing with photographers.
Govinda joined son Yashvardhan Ahuja for the family’s visarjan in Mumbai. Sunita Ahuja was not seen at that immersion event, although she had participated in the family’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations earlier.
Sanjay Dutt’s viral interaction with an injured paparazzo happened during a Ganpati darshan visit, rather than being established as part of a visarjan procession.
A ₹1.5-crore Nana Patekar farmer-aid story currently circulating is based on a recent recollection by screenwriter Ranbir Pushp. It is not a newly announced donation, and the specific transaction has not been independently documented in the current reports.
Claims that these are the “biggest” social-media stories cannot be objectively established without platform-wide analytics; they are better described as widely circulated Bollywood stories during the current Ganesh festival coverage.
Salman Khan’s ‘Ulti Aarti’ Moment With Arpita Is Real
One of the most widely circulated clips from the September 15 celebrations came from the Khan family’s Ganpati visarjan at Sohail Khan’s residence.
Salman Khan participated in the family aarti before the immersion. Video from the ceremony shows him initially rotating the aarti plate anti-clockwise. His sister Arpita Khan noticed this and quickly signalled to him to change direction.
Salman then corrected the movement and continued with the ritual.
The moment has been described online as Arpita correcting Salman’s “ulti aarti”, but the underlying event is straightforward: he began moving the plate in the opposite direction, Arpita intervened, and he followed her guidance.
The Indian Express also reported the same sequence after footage from the family celebration circulated online.
The visarjan was conducted within Sohail Khan’s residential complex, where a large water tank had been arranged for the immersion. Other family members were present, including Arpita, Alvira Khan Agnihotri and Arhaan Khan.
The clip became popular largely because of the informal sibling interaction rather than any controversy surrounding the ritual.
Shilpa Shetty Takes Over the Dhol
Shilpa Shetty’s family celebration produced another group of heavily circulated Ganpati videos.
She and husband Raj Kundra carried out visarjan with their family in Mumbai on September 15. Shilpa wore a traditional Maharashtrian-style outfit and was filmed dancing during the procession alongside family members.
One video shows Shilpa taking up a dhol herself and playing it during the festivities.
Hindustan Times reported that she played the instrument enthusiastically and also danced with members of the paparazzi covering the event.
She was joined by Raj Kundra and their children, Viaan and Samisha. Her sister Shamita Shetty was also seen during the family celebration.
Calling her performance “like a pro”, as several entertainment headlines did, is subjective rather than a factual assessment of her musical ability. The verifiable point is that she personally played the dhol and danced during the visarjan.
Shilpa’s Celebration Followed Ganpati Welcome a Day Earlier
Shilpa had welcomed Ganpati into her home on September 14 as the festival began.
Current coverage reported that she and Raj Kundra brought home the idol despite heavy rain in Mumbai, continuing an annual family tradition.
The following day’s immersion therefore formed part of the shorter one-and-a-half-day Ganpati observance followed by a number of celebrity families this year.
The viral dhol videos were from this September 15 visarjan rather than from an older celebration.
That distinction matters because older footage of celebrity Ganpati events is frequently recirculated during the festival each year.
Govinda Joins Yashvardhan for Visarjan
Govinda was also seen participating in his family’s Ganpati visarjan with son Yashvardhan Ahuja.
The father and son were filmed together during the immersion festivities despite rain in Mumbai. The Indian Express reported that Govinda and Yashvardhan took part in the family tradition while Sunita Ahuja was absent from the visarjan appearance.
Moneycontrol similarly reported that the pair took part in the rituals together and that Sunita was not seen during that celebration.
That absence should not be given a meaning that has not been established.
It would be inaccurate to imply that Sunita had stayed away from the entire Ganesh festival.
Sunita Had Already Celebrated With the Family
A day earlier, Sunita Ahuja had been seen welcoming Ganpati with the couple’s children, Tina and Yashvardhan.
Govinda was reported to have been in the United States when those initial celebrations took place. After returning to Mumbai, he appeared with his children and subsequently joined Yashvardhan for the immersion.
Current reports therefore establish only that Sunita was absent from the visarjan appearance involving Govinda and Yashvardhan.
Her absence should not automatically be linked to speculation surrounding her marriage to Govinda.
Entertainment coverage has repeatedly discussed the couple’s relationship, but a person not appearing in one family video is not evidence of the state of a marriage.
Sanjay Dutt Did Stop for an Injured Photographer
Another positive celebrity clip currently receiving attention involves Sanjay Dutt.
The actor noticed a paparazzo with an injured leg during a Ganpati-related visit in Mumbai, stopped to ask what had happened and learned that the photographer had been injured in a motorcycle accident.
Dutt then offered assistance and indicated that he would personally help. The exchange was caught on video and widely shared online.
That basic account is well supported.
However, it needs one correction when grouped with the Salman, Shilpa and Govinda stories.
Sanjay Dutt Moment Was Ganpati Darshan, Not Confirmed Visarjan
Current reporting places Sanjay Dutt’s interaction with the photographer during a Ganpati darshan visit.
India Today reported that Dutt was visiting politician Rahul Kanal’s residence to seek Ganpati blessings before going to the Ambani family’s celebration at Antilia.
NDTV similarly described the interaction as occurring during his Ganpati visit.
It is therefore more accurate to include the episode under the broader heading of Bollywood’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations rather than describe it specifically as a Ganpati visarjan incident.
The gesture itself is visible in the circulated footage and was not merely a social-media claim.
Nana Patekar’s ₹1.5-Crore Story Needs More Context
The Nana Patekar story circulating alongside the current festive coverage is substantially different from the other viral moments.
Reports published this week quote screenwriter Ranbir Pushp, who worked with Patekar on the 1996 film Agni Sakshi, recalling an incident involving a luxury car.
According to Pushp, Patekar decided not to buy a car worth approximately ₹1.5 crore after becoming concerned about families affected by farmer suicides and instead directed that the money be distributed among farmer families.
The story comes from Pushp’s recent interview with Siddharth Kannan.
That attribution is essential.
The safest formulation is therefore:
Ranbir Pushp says Nana Patekar once chose not to spend ₹1.5 crore on a luxury car and instead directed the amount towards farmer families.
It should not be written simply as an independently verified financial transaction unless documentary evidence is available.
It Is Not a New ₹1.5-Crore Donation
The anecdote is receiving fresh attention in September 2026 because Pushp has recently spoken about it.
It is not being reported as a donation that Nana Patekar made this week.
The Indian Express explicitly presents it as an incident recalled by Pushp while discussing Patekar’s personality and philanthropy.
Hindustan Times and The Times of India have also reported the account as Pushp’s recollection rather than a newly announced charitable contribution.
The exact date of the alleged ₹1.5-crore decision is not established in the reports reviewed.
That means headlines describing Patekar as having “just given up a ₹1.5-crore car for farmers” would be misleading.
Nana Patekar’s Farmer Work Is Independently Established
While the exact luxury-car anecdote presently rests on Pushp’s account, Patekar’s broader work involving farmers is well documented.
NAAM Foundation says it was founded by Nana Patekar and actor Makarand Anaspure in September 2015 in response to drought, farmer distress and farmer suicides in Maharashtra. The organisation works on water conservation, village development and support for rural communities.
That independent background makes Pushp’s anecdote consistent with Patekar’s known involvement in farmer-related causes.
It still does not independently prove every detail of the ₹1.5-crore story.
A factually careful article should preserve both points rather than treating the anecdote as either unquestionably proven or baseless.
What Is Actually Verified From the Current Viral Stories?
The major claims can be separated into five clear findings.
Salman Khan: Verified. He performed aarti during the September 15 family visarjan at Sohail Khan’s residence, initially moved the plate in the opposite direction and was corrected by Arpita Khan.
Shilpa Shetty: Verified. She participated in her family visarjan, danced to dhol beats and was filmed playing the dhol herself. Current coverage also reports her dancing with photographers.
Govinda: Verified. He joined son Yashvardhan for Ganpati visarjan. Sunita Ahuja was absent from that particular appearance but had participated in the family’s festival celebrations earlier.
Sanjay Dutt: Verified with a correction. He did stop to check on an injured paparazzo and offered assistance, but the incident is reported as occurring during Ganpati darshan rather than during an established visarjan procession.
Nana Patekar: Partly verified as an attributed anecdote. Ranbir Pushp has publicly recounted the ₹1.5-crore car story, and Patekar’s farmer-support work is independently established. The specific financial transaction, however, is not independently documented in the reports reviewed.
Why These Videos Are Getting Attention
Celebrity Ganpati coverage is an annual feature of Mumbai entertainment reporting, particularly because many actors host idols privately and later interact with photographers during immersion ceremonies.
This year’s first major batch of clips combines religious rituals with unscripted family interactions.
Salman being corrected by his sister, Shilpa spontaneously taking over the dhol, Govinda appearing alongside his son and Sanjay Dutt stopping to speak with an injured photographer all produce short, easily shareable moments that naturally travel across entertainment social media.
However, statements describing them as the “biggest social-media stories” should be treated cautiously.
Without comprehensive data from Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook and other platforms, there is no reliable basis for ranking them as the most popular celebrity stories overall.
They can accurately be described as widely circulated and prominently covered Bollywood moments from the current Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
Ganpati Celebrations Continue
The celebrity immersions on September 15 do not represent the end of Ganesh Chaturthi across Mumbai.
The festival began on September 14 and traditionally includes different immersion schedules, with households keeping their idols for varying lengths of time.
The events involving Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Govinda were part of the early visarjan cycle.
More public and celebrity Ganpati appearances are therefore expected as the festival continues.
Bottom Line
The current Bollywood Ganpati stories are largely supported by video and recent reporting, but some of the viral framing needs correction.
Salman Khan’s sister Arpita did correct him after he initially performed the aarti in the opposite direction during the Khan family’s visarjan.
Shilpa Shetty danced during her family celebration and personally played the dhol, while Govinda joined son Yashvardhan for visarjan without Sunita Ahuja appearing alongside them. Sunita had, however, already participated in the family’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
Sanjay Dutt’s interaction with an injured paparazzo is also genuine, although it happened during a Ganpati darshan visit rather than being clearly established as a visarjan moment.
The Nana Patekar story requires the strongest qualification. The ₹1.5-crore account comes from screenwriter Ranbir Pushp’s recent recollection of an earlier incident. Patekar’s longstanding work for farmers through NAAM Foundation is independently documented, but the exact car-and-donation anecdote should continue to be attributed to Pushp rather than presented as a newly verified ₹1.5-crore transaction.
Key Takeaway
Salman Khan’s aarti was corrected by sister Arpita during family visarjan.
Shilpa Shetty played the dhol and danced at her celebration.
Govinda joined son Yashvardhan for immersion; Sunita was absent from that event.
Sanjay Dutt helped an injured photographer during Ganpati darshan.
Nana Patekar’s ₹1.5-crore story is an attributed anecdote, not a new donation.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
The ₹2-crore devotional drama Hanuman Ansh has emerged as one of 2026’s surprise theatrical successes, while Mirzapur: The Movie continues its strong franchise-driven run and Akshay Kumar-Saif Ali Khan’s Haiwaan starts comparatively slowly.
Haiwaan, Daayra and Drishyam: The Conclusion headline Bollywood’s upcoming theatrical calendar, with major releases scheduled between 11 September and Gandhi Jayanti.
Mirzapur: The Movie has delivered a strong theatrical opening, collecting an estimated ₹93.75 crore net in India and ₹132.35 crore worldwide gross in its first three days.
The low-budget devotional drama continues its unusually strong sixth-week theatrical run, while a Telugu release is scheduled for September 18 and writer-director Vishal Chaturvedi has unveiled his next spiritual film, RamBola, based on Goswami Tulsidas.
Manoj Bajpayee is preparing to play Mahatma Gandhi, Kartik Aaryan’s Captain India has begun filming, Love & War has wrapped, while Toxic faces reports of a steep OTT valuation decline.
Salman Khan delivered one of the most talked-about Weekend Ka Vaar episodes of Bigg Boss 20 as he confronted online trolling over age, weight and appearance, removed his hat and shirt on stage, spoke about body-shaming of celebrities and separately staged a health scare to make contestant Qazi Touqe
0 Comments