Ben 10, Kareena Kapoor cracker covers add to Diwali flavour

If you overhear someone ask for a Thor, X-Men, or Ben 10 at a neighbourhood cracker store, do not be confused.

They are popular firecrackers, based on their covers, which have caught the fancy of Delhiites this year.

“Kids choose firecrackers based on who is on the cover,” said RS Sharma, a wholesaler near Esplanade Road.

Cracker covers have usually been a reflection of popular TV and cinema trends. This year, they are a mix of superheroes and cartoon character, taking over Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Vyjayanthimala.

On Saturday, the cracker market on Esplanade Road exploded with images of Bollywood actors Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Sunny Leone, and characters like Chota Bheem and X-Men.

There’s a huge craze for fictional characters among children, vendors said.

“I still like Vyjayanthimala better,” chimed a shopkeeper.

“The Vyjayanthimala rockets, and the Dharmendra and Hema Malini multiple aerials have been around for a long time. Many parents who come with their kids to the store remember them from their childhood,” said Mukesh Mathuria, a cracker wholesaler in Chawri Bazaar.

The festival of lights, and noise in the age of crackers, is not just for the young. Adults gravitate towards the Chak De ladi (with Shahrukh Khan’s image) and the Lord Krishna assorted gift pack, said shopkeeper Raj Kaushal.

“Jackie Chan bombs and Swastik wheels are the other favourites,” he said.

Since the ban on Chinese firecrackers, licenced stores say they sell only indigenous products. Most of the goods come from the south Indian city of Sivakasi, India’s cracker manufacturing hub.