Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 31, 2020)

“I have brought my son back home with me to Mumbai, but my daughter is a little stubborn (laughs). It makes me feel secure she’s staying with her grandparents in Uganda. However, I wish we could all be together now,” says Juhi Chawla, with her signature warmth. Her children, Jhanvi and Arjun, were at their boarding school in the UK at the time of the Coronavirus outbreak but she decided to fly them down.

She confides that a while ago, she was overwhelmed by a sudden rush of nerves. “A few nights ago, I had a panic attack. My mind was racing ahead and I was worrying what if we’re unable to battle this pandemic. I woke up and told myself to stop thinking,” she says. But Chawla is now happy, picking up a skill not many know about. She says, “I was learning to sing but gave up a few months ago as I couldn’t focus. My teacher messaged and I felt this is the best time to resume training since I’m grounded at home. I’m taking lessons online.”

The Ishq (1997) actor adds, “Apart from that, I’ve been reading and watching films. My son and I’ve taken to watering our garden. And my mother-in-law has given us the duty to do the puja in the house.” She believes the lockdown is “grounding” everyone. “Whenever I stay home, I always experience a fear of missing out and so, I want to keep running around. But this time, staying at home feels like a detox. The best thing to do is to look around yourself and feel grateful,” says Chawla.

Emphasising how each person should help those in need, she says, “The simplest thing that we can do right now is show kindness and consideration. There’s a 96-year-old woman living all by herself in Mahim. Her children are abroad and they aren’t able to send her money. Since there’s a lockdown, I can’t send food across to her every other day but I’m trying to help her as much as I can.”

Chawla co-owns Kolkata Knight Riders, part of the Indian Premiere League. Talking about the IPL’s suspension she shares, “The lockdown is till April 14. Then the government will take a call on what to do next. We don’t know what’s going to happen but we do realise safety of people is more important than anything else. We’ve to wait and watch and let things unfold.”