‘Padhne-likhne walon ki liye koi taklif nahi hai…’
Actor Atul Srivastava’s approach of taking long breaks to select projects is coming handy during the lockdown. Quarantined in his house with wife, son and mother-in-law in Mumbai, the Lucknowite is keeping himself busy with his second favourite thing after acting – reading!
“It’s for my son and others like him that this lock down period is a big issue. ‘Padhnelikhne walon ki liye koi taklif nahi hai,’ (there is no problem for those who love reading and writing). I am enjoying reading books that I was longing to complete since a long time. I have collected a lot of books over the time but was not able to read them as had no me time because of shoots. So currently, I am all into reading most of the time,” he said over phone.
Besides, he is catching up with old classic movies and digital shows on OTT. “With hectic shooting schedules and travelling health takes a backseat but these days I am following a strict timetable to be keep fit. Staying home has regulated my exercise routine and I myself have started feeling good about myself,” he says.
The ‘Stree’, ‘LukaChuppi’ and ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan,’ actor did shoot for a digital show ‘Mannphodganj Ki Binni’ two years back in Lucknow that was recently released. Where he plays father to the protagonist, talking about the show, he says, “We shot 95% of the show between Lucknow, Kakori and Malihabad. Only, a small portion has been shot in Allahabad as Mannphodganj is a very popular locality in the
Sangam city. It’s a very interesting family-oriented story and is being well received. I enjoyed shooting every bit of it in my hometown.”
Before the shooting came to a halt in the wake of the coronavirus spread, he was scheduled to go Badayun near Bareilly for the last leg of his next. “We have shot ‘Sonam
Gupta Bewafa Hai’ last year. The shooting of the film is nearly only over. There is some patchwork left to be completed. But everything has been put on hold. Let’s see when things get back on track. I hope this phase gets over soon.” Srivastava has also shot for Partho Ghosh’s ‘Pyar Main Thoda Twist’ in Lucknow last year.