While many actors are yet to get back on the sets, Saqib Saleem has not only resumed shooting, but has also wrapped up two projects. Besides shooting in Mumbai, he has also filmed in Delhi, Gurgaon and Pune. “I knew that I would have to be very careful and adhere to safety measures, but I needed to get back to work. I can proudly say that I have braved the Coronavirus (laughs!). I started shooting in August, and by September 4, I had wrapped up my work,” says Saqib. While he awaits the release of the Kabir Khan-directorial '83, he talks to BT about overcoming the fear of going back to work in COVID time and how an actor needs to keep in touch with this art to get better at what he does:

The actor admits that he was apprehensive about resuming work. He elaborates, “I am a restless person. Be it work, travelling or meeting my friends, I am always up and about. The lockdown was difficult, not just because we were at home, but also because nobody had clarity as to what is going to happen next. Then one fine day, I was offered a script that I liked, and I decided that I want to do it. I met the makers, and they explained the whole process of how they plan to shoot it with all safety measures in place.”

Talking about his first day on the sets, Saqib says, “Looking at the protective gear that people on the set were sporting, it felt like we were shooting a sci-fi film. The movie that I was shooting for had no mention of the virus. So, while we would be shooting normal scenes, behind the camera, everyone was sporting masks and PPE kits. For the first two days, it was difficult to get out of the COVID universe and get into the world of the film. I kept asking myself whether I had forgotten to act? Why wasn’t I able to relate to the emotions in the scene? Then I told myself that I needed to stop panicking. I decided to go ahead with the shoot without any fear. I would take a COVID test every four days. In fact, I took some eight-nine tests during the shoot; luckily, all of them were negative.”

While people from other professions have been working from home, for an actor, that option comes with its limitations. “I kept wondering how much can an actor work from home? I got in touch with a writer friend, and we wrote content for social media, etc. We tried ideating, but after a month there was nothing left to do,” Saqib says, adding, “Often, before you start shooting, most of your prep happens in your head. Yes, you can do workshops and read scripts, but when you are on the set that is when the real action happens. Acting ka riyaaz nahi ho raha tha. The fact is that it’s only when you keep acting every day that you will get better at your craft,” he explains.

Like Saqib, his sister Huma S Qureshi, too, started shooting for her film Bellbottom in August. While he was in India, she took off to the UK for her shoot.

The actor shares, “We were obviously worried and kept checking on each other. She was in Glasgow and was in quarantine for 14-days before she started shooting. When you are on the film set, no matter how small the unit is, few people will have to come near you. She took me through the whole process of how they were working, and I told her how we would have a COVID test every four days, along with all the other safety measures. However, both of us were happy to be doing what we love — acting.”