‘NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO TO WORK’
As actors can’t shoot in masks, Lara Dutta Bhupathi feels they can ‘just say a prayer, hope for the best’
For many, the pandemic became a phase of introspection, and this also stands true for actor Lara Dutta Bhupathi, who admits finding a sense of calm by learning to let go of control. “This year and the last year taught me that, ‘You are in control of nothing’. Whether it’s relinquishing control to somebody else or just leaving things up to destiny, it has been difficult for me because I’m a control freak,” she confesses.
But, from spending every waking hour with family to shooting despite the fear of the virus, many moments helped her realise that some things just aren’t up to her. “It’s for my own physical and mental health that I should just relax and let go, even if things don’t go exactly the way I envision,” Bhupathi, 43, tells us.
Besides surrendering control, she also learned to slow down. “I read somewhere, ‘You are never going to have this version of yourself ever again’. So, [it’s good to] sit down and spend some time with it,” she muses.
Before the second wave hit, the actor was shooting for the remake of a web series, Casual. And it was scary, as she reasons, “Acting is one of the rare professions where we can’t wear a mask to work. You can just say a prayer and cover yourself in God’s grace and hope for the best. We need to ensure that we have a safe environment for everybody to come to work and go back healthy and safe.”
Bhupathi lauds the entertainment industry for adapting to the changing reality, with a special mention to OTT platforms. “The industry has done exceptionally well during this time. Under lockdown, everyone is consuming content. And you can’t churn it out faster than now,” notes the former beauty queen. he says.
However, Rakesh Bedi says, “Mujhe toh shuru se bada ajeeb sa lagta hai ki aap kisi known ya veteran actor ka audition lete ho. [But] I wouldn’t mind giving an audition to a director who’s sitting in front of me, virtually.”
Raazi (2018) actor Ashwath Bhatt feels it’s a “difficult task” to audition from home. “It’s a nightmare. You have to be spot on, [but] how do I get the cues and the real feel? Doing auditions in this way isn’t organic. Earlier, I didn’t have a tripod. Now, I have proper mics and a background wall as well,” Bhatt says.