Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
Together we can make a difference: Sharad
Sharad Malhotra had to step out of his house recently to get some essentials for his family. While his wife, Ripci Bhatia, was worried, they had no other option because their society doesn’t allow grocery delivery even at the main gate. “As instructed by the government, only one person per family is permitted to step out. I’ve been doing that, and this time, I got things that would last eight to nine days. Though I had taken proper safety measures, Ripci was obviously worried. But we really don’t have a choice,” he says. What the actor witnessed when he stepped out is something he had never seen before. “Just a couple of shops were open. The roads were clear. The few who were outside looked tense. The shopkeeper was worried about the future… There was a sense of emptiness, a sinking feeling... Never have I seen or heard of a crisis of this magnitude,” he adds.
Malhotra, 37, urges everyone to stay home and only go out if it’s really important. “Together we can and we shall make a difference,” he asserts, adding that his family is trying to stay positive. Equally concerned about his family in Kolkata and Ripci’s parents in Punjab, he adds, “I wish we could all have been together now... We’re constantly in touch with them and making sure that they’re well.”
Naina Arora
American comedienneactor Whitney Cummings might have recorded her podcast in just her bra, but on the other side of the world, Sacred Games actor Kubbra Sait says that her biggest joy of working from home has been not wearing one at all. “There are social media posts about how men aren’t wearing pants during virtual meetings. I have to confess that I haven’t been happier, freer in my house, working from home, without wearing a bra. It has been fantastic, and is so empowering! It allows me to think freely,” Sait, 36, says.
Ask how has working from home been like and she says that she has been extremely “focused”. “I take out time for work, schedule everything on my calendar. I am disciplined about it. Only when I’m done with work do I watch TV. I’d recommend that to everybody... There are things that I’ve always wanted to do, I am focusing on that right now,” she adds. Sait highlights the need to be positive. “I’d rather be focused on now and deal with tomorrow when it comes. My advice for others is take care of the people who love you, raise their spirits when you can,” she says.