As the second wave of the pandemic eases its grip with Coronavirus cases on a decline, people are heaving a sigh of relief. However, actor Neena Gupta is still anxious as she feels that people should not let their guard down just yet. Currently in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, with her husband Vivek Mehra, she says that even after getting vaccinated, she is being very cautious.

“I keep hearing that people got Covid-19 even after vaccination, and I remind myself that even if I get it, it will be a milder infection. I tell myself to be positive. But when I go out and even for walks, I wear my masks at all times. I’m not so relieved even after the two vaccine doses,” the Mulk and Badhaai Ho (both 2018) actor shares.

Gupta, 66, tells us that the last couple of months have not been that easy for her, and she even fell sick due to the stress.

“I started having stomach issues. It was very troublesome. I called my doctor and he asked me if I was tensed, because stress affects your digestive system. And I said I wasn’t, because everything is okay here...,” she shares, quick to confess, “But then I realised that I have been sad. As I read and saw things, the fear that I might get the virus or that someone close to me can die, is still there. That stress continues.”

That said, the National Film Award winner is trying her best by staying occupied to keep bad thoughts at bay. “I cook a lot these days, so my mind is occupied. I don’t sit idle for a second so that I don’t [get the time to] think of the crisis. There’s a lot of stress we all have right now, but we have to deal with it and we have to be very careful,” she adds.

Another thing that’s keeping Gupta positive and adding to her happiness, is the response to her latest web film, Sardar Ka Grandson, and Gupta is lapping all the appreciation up.

“It was a very challenging role for me to play and I’m happy that people are appreciating it. Initially, when I was told I have to play a 90-year-old woman, I said no to the makers. I said I don’t want to play a nonagenarian right now. But when I heard the script, I got very excited, and I was like, ‘I want to shoot now’. It was a very beautiful script and my role is so nice, so there were no second thoughts,” says the actor, who co-stars with Arjun Kapoor in the film.

Three weeks in a Himalayan forest have changed Amit Sadh’s perspective on life; actor wants to plan a bike trip around the world instead of chasing stardom
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 6, 2020)

Amit Sadh turned 37 yesterday and this birthday was very different from the usual. “I am either trekking, hiking or riding with people who are not from the industry, but this year, it was just another day for me,” sighs the actor, who spent the Coronavirus lockdown in the Himalayas, and only recently returned to the city. “I was in Mukteshwar, where I had been going camping for two months since I was five, with a couple of friends. A few more friends were to join us there for a trekking trip, but before they could leave their homes, lockdown was enforced.”

But Amit had his own adventures. “For three weeks, we were in a forest, with no electricity, network or another human for about five km. We lived in a tent and had to walk half a kilometre to get food,” he recounts, adding that he was trekking almost 10 km a day, while also basking in the glory of nature with his uncle who taught him all about plants and birds. “I saw a sight of bird bathing and watched the sun rise and set every day.”

He was able to embark on the return journey only after the Uttarakhand government came to his aid and after all the necessary check-ups, declared he was fit to travel back to Mumbai. The return car-journey was an eye-opener. “I had driven 28 hours straight while going there, but I was coming back amidst social isolation and that was upsetting because I am used to stopping at roadside dhabas and mingling with people. But this time, they were shut or deserted and people were afraid to interact, especially with strangers, like you’d kill them. The first two hours of travel were the hardest,” he reminisces, adding that in sharp contrast, wildlife roamed freely. “It felt like humans were caged and the animals were free.”

His friends made the journey easier for Amit. One of them arranged for a hotel stay in Ahmedabad, while some others ensured that he was well fed throughout. But the sight of thousands of migrant labourers on the road in Ahmedabad, some literally sitting in each other’s lap, shook him up. “There were some buses, so I presumed they were going home, but that sight haunted me,” he admits.

These three months have changed his perspective on life. “Before this, everything I did was about films only, be it diet, training or relationships. Even watching a movie was a technical process as I was desperate to establish myself as an actor. Some good also came out of it, but now, that ambition is gone. I am not running away from my career and I am still as hardworking. Fundamentally I am still the same, just calmer,” the actor points out, saying ironically, he is the most certain in these uncertain times. “If you ask me what I want to do right now, I’d say, go to Goa, open a cafe, serve coffee and live a normal life. Hopefully, I will also open a café in Mumbai in the next six months. I don’t want to be a star and want to focus on small things, like maybe write or do a podcast with friends.”

Once normalcy returns, Amit plans to take a biking trip with 10-15 people, across countries, for two months. “Also, I am planning an elaborate bike ride from Alaska to Austria and from the top of the world, Arctic, to the bottom continent, Australia, for which I’ll be on the road for two years. That’s the masterplan which might take a year or two to materialise,” he shares.

But what about films? “Right now, I have no work to do, but I’m not stressed out. I am an actor, not a factory chasing targets. If I get a good script and character, I’ll do it. But right now, Goa plan is the only thing on my mind,” he signs off.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 9, 2020)

When Manoj Bajpayee went to Uttarakhand for a shoot, little did he know that it would turn out to be a much longer stay due to the lockdown. He is, however, glad that his family had accompanied him to Mukteshwar, or “it would have been quite stressful”. Bajpayee, 50, and his family feel that “being isolated there is better than any city, right now”.

“We are enjoying being with Nature, being alone and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Sure, we can’t leave the place or be in contact with anyone, but we roam in the jungle nearby. That is better than being in a flat,” says the actor.

“All of us dreamed of staying at home, doing nothing. Everyone wanted some ‘alone time’ and now we have it. We all wish the pandemic gets over soon but this time is forced on us by Nature. I think we will all miss this time, once Coronavirus the pandemic is over,” he shares, adding, “I believe that one should always have a routine. I wake up at 6.30 am, do some yoga and meditation, and later go for a run or a long walk. After a shower and breakfast, we all read or watch something. We have been going for two hours of trekking post lunch, and return in the evening.”

What has the pandemic taught him? “It has taught me to respect Nature, and not play around with it. I hope people learn a lesson from this calamity,” he signs off.

Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 6, 2020)

When it comes to giving life advice, very few come close to the intellect that Neena Gupta possesses. The actor, who is currently in Mukteshwar (Uttarakhand), where she reached just two days before the Coronavirus lockdown, is keeping herself busy by making her own Instagram video series titled Sach Kahoon Toh, in which she gives her opinion about various topics. These include — not falling for married men and how to cope with stress during this crisis. “I speak from the heart and like to share whatever I feel I can with women. It’s not necessary that I make these videos every day or give advice all the time. The other day, I just felt like dancing and telling people to stay in their houses. I am planning to make a video about how one can do away with fancy shampoos and soaps during this time. It’s a way of keeping myself and the audience entertained,” she says.

The actor says that it is ideal to avoid discussing negative subjects and instead do things that please us at the moment. “It’s very difficult to stay positive in this time. I keep myself busy so that I don’t have time to think. I am taking online classes for classical singing. Apart from that, I am cooking, too. The other day, I tried my hand at rava dosa and it turned out well,” she says.

Gupta, who has spent four decades in the industry, was part of many television shows including Buniyaad, which the government has decided to re-telecast on Doordarshan. “Everyone doesn’t have a subscription to OTT channels. Many still watch Doodarshan. So, I think it’s a great initiative. Even the younger generation will be exposed to the series which I think is relevant even today and has stood the test of time. While I don’t have a huge role in it, I have fond memories of the serial,” she concludes.