Juhi Chawla recounts how Coronavirus pandemic cut short her trip to Austria, prompting hurried return to Mumbai with husband and son; informs daughter is in Uganda with her grandparents
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 3, 2020)

Around this time of the year, Juhi Chawla is usually in Kolkata, cheering her Boys in Purple (team Knight Riders) from the stands while anxiously watching the scoreboard. But this IPL cricket season, the actress and franchise co-owner is locked down in her Mumbai home. “Unless the situation improves and travel restrictions around the world are lifted, we can’t expect matches to start,” she reasons.

Juhi’s Austrian family holiday with husband Jay Mehta and children Jahnavi and Arjun turned into an event straight out of a film as the Coronavirus scare spread across Europe. “Austria partially closed off its borders soon after we left. Ditto Switzerland. So, we returned to our London home where my in-laws joined us,” she recounts.

By then, India had started restricting incoming international flights and a lockdown-like situation seemed imminent. “So, we decided to fly back. Apna ghar, apna ghar hota hai aur apna desh, apna desh hota hai,” Juhi says emphatically, asserting that she didn’t want to be anywhere else but home during these trying times. “We approached the High Commission of India and they helped us reach Mumbai safely. All the racing and the dodging made it seem like we were shooting for a thriller.”

Upon her return to the city, the actress faced yet another challenge. “Some of our staff comes from outside and it quickly became apparent that they wouldn’t be able to continue reporting to work. So, we re-organised everything and shut off some of the rooms for better management of the rest. Thankfully, I have people in the kitchen, otherwise it would have been a disaster. We are functioning with skeletal staff and one in-house driver,” the actress informs.

Juhi’s businessman-husband is with her, along with son Arjun, while daughter Jahnavi is in Uganda with her grandparents. “She studies in the US and they have to attend online classes. Being in India would mean staying up all night for lectures. At least the time difference is not so huge there,” she explains.

Arjun, who will appear for his standard 10 exams this year, is continuing with his studies, too, in case the school suddenly decides to hold them. “He’s also watering the plants, now that the gardener can’t come in. There’s also a lot of fiddling around with gadgets,” she says, going on to enquire if the person on the other end of the line is using earphones or speaking directly into the handset. Sounding disappointed when told it’s the latter, Juhi says she’s trying to stay away from mobile phones as much as possible.

Meanwhile, with the family priests unable to come in, Jay and Juhi have started conducting the morning pooja themselves, beginning the day with prayers. “It’s calming; perhaps this is God’s way of bringing us closer together,” muses the actress, who has also started doing riyaaz again. “I was a dedicated student to begin with, but as life got busier, I gave up music. My teacher prodded me to start again and I have started taking online classes.”

She’s tuning out negative news so it doesn’t add to her anxiety, and is reveling in the positives instead. “It’s not so hot in Mumbai anymore. Normally, by this time, you couldn’t do without the air-conditioner. The skies are so clear that I can see the lights all the way to Cuffe Parade from my Malabar Hill apartment,” she exults, adding that she is having methi seeds, soaked overnight, every morning to pamper her tresses. Is it working? “If I come out of this lockdown with thick, lustrous hair, you’d know,” she chuckles.