Shabana says it’s time to pull out all the stops

It’s very hard to maintain your sanity at a time like this. Every day we hear about a known one gone. But we cannot give in to despair,” says Shabana Azmi. The actor believes that having her family around is helping her cope with the grim situation as she asserts, “This is the time to pull out all the stops and do whatever we can to alleviate suffering.”

As she is spending the lockdown at her farmhouse in Khandala, Azmi is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that there are no loopholes in the Covid relief work which she is overseeing in the remote areas of Uttar Pradesh. “We’re working in eight districts of UP. Our Covid Rahat Program entails work related to supplying food, arranging oxygen concentrators and escalating the vaccination drive,” she says.

The veteran actor adds that she is actively involved in spreading awareness about the importance of vaccines to fight coronavirus among those living in rural areas.

“Javed (Akhtar; husband) and I’ve had considerable experience in the polio vaccination drive which happened a couple of years ago in the hinterlands of UP. Apart from making motivational videos urging people to take the vaccine, our team is taking door to door surveys,” she explains.

With many celebrities receiving flak for posing for a camera while doing charitable work, Azmi opines, “I think that if the photos are taken with sensitivity and we are mindful, it can help. I remember during the Latur earthquake, I took a tour of a hospital in Solapur and was horrified at the way the survivors were asked to relate their tragedy for the benefit of the cameras! The camera is a double edged weapon.”