Bhagwan ne laat maari hai: Anupam Kher on coronavirus pandemic
The zipping and zooming of autos, cars, bikes, coupled with honking, is a cacophony Anupam Kher has been used to outside his house. But then he draws your attention to birds chirping, in a video where he’s practising social distancing with his longtime friend Anil Kapoor amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Describing the video in which Kher is seen in his balcony, and conversing with Kapoor via video call, as a Romeo and Juliet-like scene, he says, “The luxury of being friends for so long is that you have a sense of humour. But this is also our way of telling the world it’s important that even though you’re friends for 40 years, you need to fulfil social obligations. This social distancing today will bring the world together tomorrow.”
As the self-quarantines spur online content across creative streams, Kher says, “Bhagwan ne laat maari hai and bola hai ki, ‘Behave like humans, don’t become God’. It is God’s way of saying ‘Don’t get into my area’, because human beings have started thinking of themselves as God. But one small virus has put everyone in place... on a mass level worldwide, itni badi learning nahin ho sakti thhi.”
Calling himself an eternal optimist, Kher adds, “Even in the worst situation, there’s a possibility that some goodness will come out of it.”
The 65-year-old returned to India from New York on March 20. And he’s all praise for the safety measures being taken by India. After going through a fever check, filling out health forms, and getting the ‘Home Quarantine’ stamp, he’s staying away from his loved ones. “At a certain point in life, you’ve to take decisions which aren’t just for your own good, but for the better of people around you,” adds the actor, who did a video call with his mother and whose wife Kirron is busy with Parliament.
Also, he feels celebs have an added responsibility as it’s taking people time to register that “something like a virus can affect the whole world” despite technological breakthroughs. Nevertheless, he’s proud of how people are following instructions. “It’s not just the fear of getting the virus, it’s also the realisation of how small you are in the scheme of things,” he shares.
How does he plan to spend time at home? “Getting rid of things I don’t need, extra baggage, extra thoughts, just putting life together. God has given the whole world time to simplify life, whether in thoughts or in materialistic things,” says Kher, who’s planning live online chats as he feels “this is the time when people are in the mood to listen”.
This is an overhauling of the world, and I think we’ll cherish nature more.
ANUPAM KHER ACTOR