Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 16, 2020)

Mrunal Thakur is in no mood to sit back and relax in quarantine, and has been keeping herself busy with preps for her upcoming project. “I took some rest during the first two days of the lockdown. On the third day, I began working out to achieve the physique for Jersey,” she says.

Besides reading and growing vegetables, she has picked up a new set of skills. “I’ve booked myself for an online braid course, as I love the art of braiding. My brother is teaching me to play Fortnite, an online game, and also helping me make music on Machiner, a music production controller for electronic music. I can’t wait to share my compositions with the world.”

Thakur, 27, believes that now is the time to be kind to each other. She elaborates, “I would want to request sellers to not hike the prices of essential commodities. It would be great if we can donate funds and pay our staff in advance. It’s our responsibility to not spread false news about Coronavirus.”

Ask Thakur what’s her takeaway from the lockdown and she says, “I realise that my mother works tirelessly throughout the year. I’ve also learned the importance of taking care of my mental health. I drink a lot of water with a pinch of turmeric powder in it as it boosts immunity.”

To ensure that isolation doesn’t take a toll on one’s mental health, she urges people to stay connected. “Social distancing doesn’t equate to emotional distancing. I’ve been seeing Instagram stories, where people are spending days watching shows on OTT platforms. I would urge everyone to talk to their families as it always helps. We need to stop cribbing; we’re in a much better space than many others,” she signs off.