Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; May 31, 2020)

Though it took Emraan Hashmi some time to adapt to life in the Coronavirus lockdown, eventually, he learnt to make the most of the time on hand. “Now, my timetable is such that I fall short of time to do the things that I want to,” he shares. In a conversation with BT, the actor talks about how he has accepted this as the ‘new normal’ and how the ongoing crisis is going to change the world around us. Excerpts:

As an actor, who is used to a busy schedule, how did you deal with this sudden change due to the lockdown?
It’s human nature to not accept confinement easily, as we’re not used to it. It took me some time to get used to this and realise that this could be the new normal for a long time. If you don’t fight it, it becomes more palatable, and you find things to do even during a lockdown, which are constructive.

How did the lockdown affect your work life?
Before the lockdown, I was working on Chehre with Amitabh Bachchan. I had also done a cameo in an English film, which was supposed to be screened at film festivals, but it went into a tizzy. At this point, Mumbai Saga and Chehre would have been gearing up for release, but that’s again up in the air now. I was also prepping for two other films. As an actor, one does feel a little more insulated than let’s say, the producers, who’ve put their money on films that are still being shot with sets still up. However, we’re paying a smaller price than those out on the streets with nowhere to go.

Do you think everyone’s approach towards life will change in days, post the lockdown?
After the lockdown, we will step out of our homes as different people. A catastrophe of any kind changes people. My father is 74, and he has not witnessed something like this in his lifetime. It would be foolish to think that things will go back to the way they were. You won’t even know how this crisis has changed you. I feel that the sense of community has grown immensely, and people are reaching out to each other. I’ve reconnected with some friends after many years. In cinema, I think our narratives will change, because the taste of the audience will differ. Frivolity may not work. The world will see things as before and after coronavirus. The divide will be that huge.