Unprecedented — this word sums up the year that 2020 has been so far. The pandemic threw not just Bollywood but the entire world into such a mayhem that we are still learning to cope with it. Alia Bhatt, reviewing 2020, says, “It’s been a challenging year for all of us.”

She had been busy round the clock — shooting for Brahmastra with Ranbir Kapoor and Gangubai Kathiawadi helmed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and giving final touches to her plans of becoming an entrepreneur — just before the lockdown was announced.

The actor tells us what all she was up to in the lockdown period: “When I realised I had all this time to myself, I decided to use it productively — learning more about the different aspects of business and the market. And of course, I used the time to catch up on my reading and binge watching.”

Now that the restrictions have been lifted and actors are getting back to work, Bhatt, too, returned to the sets of Gangubai... How does it feel being back at work after such a long time, and how the working experience has changed, with restrictions? She says, “It’s a great feeling to be reunited with the team and being back on the set. Of course, we have multiple restrictions and protocols to follow. Everyone is careful, taking all sorts of precautions. But we’ve accepted that this is the new normal, and we are all trying to make the best of the situation.”

The one thing she loves apart from, of course, acting, is supporting environmental causes. In the past too, Bhatt, who has turned entrepreneur with an eco-conscious kids clothing brand, has been an eco-warrior.

“Thanks to my sister Shaheen, I have always been concerned about animal welfare. Growing up, I started reading more about what impacts the environment and launched Coexist (an ecological initiative)... Realising that we are all housing an environmental threat in our wardrobes, I started MiSu, which is a closet sharing initiative,” the actor says.

Ask her if she had any apprehensions about returning to work in the current scenario, the 27-year-old replies, “We are all apprehensive, these are uncertain times but we have to make an effort and look at doing the best that we all can do. Also the ability to be back on set, doing what you love, is a blessing and I feel very grateful for every moment!”