My fans have taken up the initiative to verify leads, says Shirley

Financial stability is very important. It has been a while since work has come to a standstill. But I’m an optimist.

SHIRLEY SETIA, Singer

Shirley Setia was all set for her big Bollywood and Tollywood debuts this year but the second wave of the pandemic has put her acting career on hold. “I’m worried thinking what will happen to my career! My Bollywood debut was supposed to happen last year but we couldn’t complete the shoot of Nikamma. This year looked hopeful and I thought that things are slowly getting back on track,” she says.

The singer-actor says that finances are an issue but with the fall in the Covid-19 cases in Mumbai, she is trying to keep a positive mind.

“Financial stability is very important. My parents worry about that as well. It has been a while since work has come to a standstill. But I’m an optimist,” she asserts.

Much like her peers from the film industry, Setia has been amplifying requests related to Covid-19 on social media on a daily basis. “After one of my closest relatives was badly affected by the virus, I began spreading awareness through social media. They were in Delhi and the family couldn’t arrange for plasma. That’s when they called me and requested me to spread the word. I was caught in a grim situation and I realised the severity of it,” she adds.

Right now, she is closely working with her fans who verify contacts to help those battling the virus. “When I took to social media to urge people to send me their requirements and requests, my fans took up the initiative to verify leads. I didn’t have a team to cross-check every bit of information. So, we made a group on a networking site which included volunteers from different cities,” the 25-year-old concludes.