Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 21, 2020)

The Coronavirus crisis has not spared anyone, be it the common man, economies or the entertainment industry. Actor Hina Khan believes that once the currently imposed lockdown is lifted, public gatherings would remain affected.

“I was talking to (casting director) Mukesh Chhabra about when cinemas would open for business again.You don’t know how many people will go to cinemas after the lockdown is over. Definitely, farak padega. If there were 10 releases in a month, maybe one or two films would release. Even then, seating would have to be managed. Apparently, airlines will leave a gap of a seat during flights and, theatres too, might use the same model. But someone like me won’t travel for a while,” says Khan, adding that the digital medium will be preferred for releasing new content or even films that are unable to hit theatres.

While going back to work is on her mind, the Hacked actor admits it will be a tough call. “They will have to cut down on the people on set and that will in turn affect technicians’ livelihoods. The light, sound, technical crew, costume, hair, make-up personnel are the backbone of the industry. It will be a difficult choice,” she opines.

Khan, 32, feels while the virus has caused mayhem, the Earth is healing during this lockdown. “We should learn from this experience and see how surroundings are changing. I think humans are the virus and now when we are at home, the Earth is healing. It would help if once a month, all of us stayed at home and let the Earth breathe,” she adds.