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‘I’m trying to keep my mind busy, it is a struggle every day’
Right in the middle of a pandemic, when so many lives have already been turned upside down, has come another force of nature: cyclone Tauktae. It struck Mumbai on May 17, and the visuals of the ensuing damage spread across social media, before it moved on to Gujarat. Actor Divya Dutta explains the situation which unraveled on ground and shares, “There was no electricity, no WiFi. One was disconnected, in times like these when they really need to be connected [with each other]. Some of my friends messaged me from Goa, and said there was no electricity at their place, as well.”
Recalling similar fright that she experienced last year, too, the actor adds, “I had to close my windows (when cyclone Nisarga hit Mumbai). Thankfully, then it passed through somewhere else. I feel such testing times bring everyone together.”
In fact, Dutta asserts that this last one year has been the best display of unity that Indians have shown, with people amplifying SOS requests on social media, providing monetary help and relief
Fortunately, people close to me are doing fine, so, I am okay right now,” says actor Rasika Dugal about the second wave of Covid-19 in the country.
Talking about the way one can deal with the crisis, she elaborates, “But things can change so quickly. I am helping and doing my little bit in this situation – through donations or amplifying information or just being there for someone. I’m also trying to keep my mind busy. It’s a struggle every day. The situation is changing daily, too. Something that is important today might not be important tomorrow. These are difficult times for everyone. One can only be grateful for what they have.”
The actor advocates that everyone gets vaccinated but adds that the roll-out of the vaccine is another issue.
“It is difficult to say teen din baad kya hoga. They were hopeful that the vaccination would begin in a full-fledged manner and were looking forward to resume working. The numbers have reduced but who knows what next! We’d all just hang in there,” she says.
Meanwhile, on the work front, the Out Of Love actor is happy with the response to the season two of her show that released recently. She recalls shooting for the show amid the pandemic last year and admits, “Shooting after the lockdown was what I needed as a person and an artiste. The freedom I felt was one thing but the beauty of Coonoor (Tamil Nadu) where we shot was another thing. I went on many treks and enjoyed the beauty.”
On working in different seasons of the same show, the actor shares that she enjoys the process. “Figuring out how much of the character do you want to hold on to and how much to let go, is fun. To keep the audience’s interest alive after a cliff hanger finale every season is tough,” she explains.
So, what does she do to feel better during these tough times? “Working out everyday and following a disciplined regime has helped. These days, people are so aware about fitness and workouts help me during difficult situations and low moods,” comes her reply.
Divya Dutta feels that the raging cyclone and the
Covid crisis have brought out ‘the best in everyone’