Akshay Kumar, who will be seen playing a police officer in Sooryavanshi, joined his reel-life counterparts — the Nashik City Police — at a virtual press conference on Thursday, along with Vishwas Nangare Patil, Commissioner of Police, Nashik, to inaugurate a centralised online health system to monitor the health and fitness of the city’s police personnel.

“It is important to safeguard and protect our frontline workers who work for our safety during these unprecedented times,” said the actor, who recently donated 500 wristbands to the Nashik Police, that help track Coronavirus symptoms. “I have a lot of friends in the police force, and I know how hard they work to keep us safe. This lockdown, in particular, has highlighted how they risk their lives while fulfilling their duties,” he added.

Besides highlighting the work done by police during the pandemic, the actor also spoke about how it feels to return to the set after over two months of lockdown and why it’s important to be cautious during Unlock 1.0.

‘THIS IS WHAT THE NEW NORMAL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, ONE HAS TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH THE VIRUS NOW’
Akshay recently returned to the film set, for a public service film shot by R Balki at Kamalistan Studios in Mumbai, with a crew of just 20 people. Sharing his experience of shooting in the ‘new setup’ and environment, Akshay said, “It was exciting to be in front of the camera after such a long time, but it also felt very different. We worked with less than 50 per cent crew. Everyone was wearing masks and nobody came near each other. I was meeting Balki sir after a long time, but we couldn’t hug each other. All this was new, different, and unusual, but this is what the new normal is going to look like. One has to learn to live with the virus now.”

‘WE HAVE TO BE FAR MORE CAUTIOUS NOW’
Akshay also stressed on the fact that while the lockdown has been gradually eased off, one has to continue following the guidelines currently in place. “The cases of positive Coronavirus are increasing during Unlock 1.0, which is why we have to be far more cautious now,” said the actor, adding, “I would urge people to continue working from home, if possible. However, those who must return to work, including myself, must strictly follow the government regulations. We shouldn’t be scared of the virus, but fight it courageously by doing what is necessary — wearing masks, maintaining hygiene, and following social distancing.”

‘STAYING FIT IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR’
Akshay asserted that staying fit has never been more important. He added, “Nothing is more valuable than staying fit and healthy. I have always believed in the mantra, health is wealth. Washing your hands, and wearing masks will give you the added protection if you’re fit from inside.”