Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 28, 2020)

“I believe we have all started to appreciate the small things in life,” says actor Sonnalli Seygall, who has a bittersweet feeling about this lockdown. “It’s really unfortunate that people are suffering from the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown but at the same time, if you look at the bigger picture, I feel it is nature’s way of sending us into a forced detox,” Seygall says and adds, “I would always take freedom for granted but now I realise the value of it. I am undergoing a massive change. This is the most unadulterated time that we can have with ourselves and it has taught me to be even more grateful towards life. It feels like we have pressed the reset button.”

The Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011) actor admits that being in a lockdown is working for her as she has started pursuing things that she wouldn’t otherwise find the time for. “I suddenly chanced upon my old ghungroos while cleaning my cupboard and I decided to start doing Kathak again — something that I hadn’t practised in the last seven years. I called up my guruji and have been taking some online classes from him,” she says, adding, “Earlier, I would also write down my thoughts which would rhyme into small poems. I have started this again. I have also been doing a bit of gardening. So, there’s so much I was missing out on. I hope to continue these hobbies even after this lockdown is over.”

Sonnalli is also ensuring the strays in her area are taken care of. “Even before the lockdown, my mother would always feed the strays. But now we are doing it with a routine in place because the stray dogs are dependent on people who feed them and currently there is a shortage of food as regular feeders cannot travel from faraway places. I believe everyone should take care of the strays in their own areas,” she signs off.