In 2011 Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion warned us of a deadly global virus.Hansal Mehta who is currently infected by that virus says, “We were warned. Contagion was a film based on rigorous research . It was not just a film. It was a warning for what was to come. No one took it seriously. They thought it was just another disaster-survival drama that Hollywood specializes in.”Hansal is gradually recovering from the virus. “It is my fifth day. I have my off and on moments. At times I feel I am completely okay. So I pace the room,open the window look out for a while. But then I get so tired I fall into a deep sleep. I sleep throughout the day, so I am unable to sleep in the night. I watch a lot of films.” The good news is that Hansal’s wife and son have tested negative for Covid. Hansal’s son Pallava who suffers from Downs Syndrome had to be be hospitalized . By chance, Hansal’s faithful driver Krishna also had to be hospitalized . “So Pallava didn’t have to be alone. I’d say that was providential. The worst thing about this Covid virus is that when it gets you, you are on your own. The thought of my son Pallava being alone in the hospital scared the hell out of me.”About how how the family got infected Hansal says, “I was with my family in Lonavla when I felt uneasy. I told my wife we should head back to Mumbai and get ourselves tested. That’s how we came to know that my wife, daughter, son were all infected.It’s a horrible time for everyone.Let’s hope and pray it will end soon.”
