I don’t make music if I don’t feel like it: Jonita Gandhi
Jonita Gandhi is currently in Canada, spending time with her family and loved ones — a luxury that her packed schedule doesn’t usually permit. While she’s relieved about the dropping number of Covid-19 cases there, the current situation in India makes the singer anxious. “I’m in touch with my friends in India... It’s a horrible situation and I feel very helpless,” she says.
The Pink Gulaabi Sky (The Sky Is Pink; 2019) singer confides that it gets difficult to make music on some days due to the grim situation. She says, “When I’m in a good, musical mood, I try to make the most of it. I also allow myself to take days to just chill and not make music if I don’t feel like it, as this situation is affecting everyone’s mood.”
While Gandhi agrees that the pandemic has been a boon to indie artistes trying to carve out a niche for themselves, she is quick to point out that too much of content on the digital space is causing a lot of noise. “I feel like there’s information overload... That being said, I think it’s a matter of finding your audience and what kind of music makes you happy,” she concludes.
She may be in Austria, but Celina Jaitly has been helping as many people in India as she can through social media. While seeing the plight of people is distressing, the actor says it’s especially painful to see children lose their parents in this health crisis.
“The list of requests is heartbreaking and it sometimes gives me sleepless nights to not be able to fulfil all of them — from oxygen to displaced children to ICU beds,” she says, appealing to people that, “Many children are losing their parents, being abandoned or left to fend for themselves. If you receive any information about any child in distress, please contact the police or some relevant organisation.”
Jaitly, 39, who lives with her husband Peter Haag and three kids, believes that the only way we can overcome this crisis is by helping one another. “It indeed is a dire time for our country and we must stick together in whatever way we can. Even small efforts of kindness can make a life-changing impact, and we must make those efforts within our capability,” she urges.
The actor-philanthropist asserts that India needs to aggressively work on building a healthcare system that can cater to its massive population. “Even though it’s not an easy job, it certainly will take its course. There’s a lot of media focus on oxygen when there’s also a requirement for nurses, ward attendants, doctors and medical staff. Our responsibility of maintaining social distancing, taking the vaccine shot and not believing in hoodwink medications to prevent and resist Covid is very important,” she ends.