Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 25, 2020)

It is so sad that the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has occurred and has affected so many lives worldwide. But I am trying to look at things positively,” says Shraddha Kapoor, adding that while everyone needs to take care, “we have been given an opportunity to introspect and realise so many things about ourselves and our lives”.

“It’s a blessing in disguise for me as I needed this quality time with my family. I needed to get in touch with the little things and moments in life, which are actually important but get overlooked due to the fast pace of life. I really needed a break after back-to-back films, so I am making the most of this time,” she shares.

Kapoor has been home for over a week now and stepped out a few times to the garden and terrace of her building complex for “fresh air and some sun”. She urges people to stay safe during this pandemic. “We all should stay at home, and follow our government’s directives. It will help everyone in the country if we follow the instructions. We should look at it as for the betterment of everyone. We should also help the lesser privileged, pay staff their salaries even if they aren’t coming to work. During the Janta Curfew, we gave food to the people who work in my building as they were unable to arrange for it,” she says.

As for the festival of Gudi Padwa, which is today, she hopes that people celebrate it at home. The Saaho (2019) actor says, “We should take this time to be with family, and pray for everyone’s safety. I am loving this family time as I was craving it. I am looking forward to yummy food, especially shankarpada, which I love. We meet extended families during the Ganeshostav, while Gudi Padwa is more about spending time at home, having til-gul (sesame seeds and jaggery) and doing puja.” Kapoor admits that she rarely gets a chance to cook and has cooked a total of eight times in her whole life but in the last week, due to the self quarantining, she has cooked twice.