As told to Sonam Joshi (THE TIMES OF INDIA; July 5, 2020)

I’d been shooting for the web series Poison 2 for 40 days, when it was interrupted by the lockdown. When I returned to the set this week, it was a bit like being on a guerrilla shoot (you know the kind in which there is a skeletal crew, and you have to shoot quickly.) We had a minimal crew of 10-15 people, with just one assistant director and no outsiders. Everyone wore masks, gloves, carried sanitisers, and kept a distance. At the entrance of the set, there was a massive board with the dos and don’ts.

Everybody on set has already been tested for Coronavirus, and we have daily temperature checks but at the back of your mind there is a what if. I wouldn’t say it’s unnerving. You are just more on guard all the time. If someone comes close by mistake, I step back and we give each other a look that we need to stay away from each other. I wear a mask and gloves and sanitise myself constantly.

It’s funny. On the first day, I gave a rehearsal with a mask on and the director said, ‘Let’s do the take’. I said okay, and got ready for the shot. After a pause, he turned to me and said, ‘I’m waiting for you to take off your mask’. We have gotten so used to wearing a mask that I didn’t realise I had it on!

We wear a mask during rehearsals too. I guess it is difficult for the director to gauge the actor’s expressions with this but it is a small price to pay for staying safe.

If there are scenes involving physical proximity, we work around them or postpone them for when things get better. There was one scene where I was to hold someone’s collar after an altercation and that was taken out.

My hair and makeup are done separately since there can be only one person in my room at a time. I take off my mask for makeup but put it back on immediately after that. When we are having lunch, all the staff is sitting 2-3 metres away from each other. There is no buffet table, everyone gets a packed lunch and a designated area to sit.

It is quite strange to interact with humans though, because I haven’t met anyone for months. We’ve forgotten how to be social because you’re just speaking to people on phone or Zoom calls. I miss hanging out together the most, carefree without any concerns. You can’t just sit, chat and have a meal together. You can’t even hug each other or shake hands. Everyone is just saying namaste or hey from far. We all miss being free, but one has to accept the reality and work with it for the time being.

This is the new normal.