After staying indoors for a good few months during the Coronavirus lockdown last year, Sheeba Chadha was thrilled when she went back to a film set. She had been working on Sharmaji Namkeen in Mumbai before the imposition of Section 144 in the state and was all set to kick-start the first schedule of Doctor G early this month in Madhya Pradesh. But now with the second lockdown in effect, she is rather disheartened as a slew of her upcoming projects are in a limbo.

“I never stepped out of the house during the first phase of the lockdown. I had refused all work. I was so happy when I began shooting for Badhaai Do after the lockdown last year. It was lovely to resume work,” she shares, adding with a sigh, “But we are back to a lockdown again and it’s so sad. So many people’s dreams and livelihoods are attached to this. Everyone is fatigued with the situation now!”

Chadha’s first brush with acting happened when she joined a theatre group back in her school days in Delhi. Ever since, she has been a part of popular plays such as Waiting For Godot, The Chairs and The Balcony, among others.

Ask the theatre connoisseur about the latest trend of virtual plays and she says, “For me, theatre is a community affair. Virtual theatre can never replace actual theatre and I hope that the latter never goes away.”

But the actor, who was recently seen in Pagglait, is happy to watch a play if is explored through a different medium. “There’s excellent work with regard to theatre that’s happening outside our country. Even in our country, theatre artistes like Atul Kumar and Amitesh Grover are exploring the virtual medium in a rather interesting way. Virtual theatre is a new beast and whatever little I’ve watched, I really liked it,” she signs off.