Vineet Kumar On The Lessons  From The Lockdown

That brilliant actor from Anurag  Kashyap’s  Mukkabaaz, last seen in the Amazon webseries Betaal,  has  a lot  to learn  from the lockdown.

“We may have  our plans. But the Almighty has other plans. My plan  for April was to attend  the Tribeca Film Festival in  the US where  one  of  my films  was  to be screened. This was important   for me because the Tribeca  festival is hosted by  Robert De Niro. Aur main De Niro Saab ka bahot bada fan hoon. Yeh  ek mauqa tha  unse milne ka(I am a huge  fan of De Niro. This was an opportunity to meet him). Ek selfie lene ka mauqa  jo iss na-muraad  virus ne cheen liya(laughs). Ek cheez samajh mein ayee  ki hamari plan apni jagah kudrat ke  plans  apni jagah.”

Vineet was , in any case, planning a break when the  Lockdown happened. “I had been shooting non-stop since Mukkabaaz . I completed  7 project out of which 3 have already  been released. My sister Mukti who is  a screenwriter has for some time now, been asking for my time so we could sit and write  together . I wasn’t getting the time to do so.  But now I finally have  the time to  sit and  write with her.I spend a lot  of time during the Lockdown writing with my  sister.”

Vineet has also been binge-watching.  “After two months in lockdown I no longer  have to think   about what plans  to make  during  the day. It  just happens.There were so many shows and  films that I had lined up.  But because of  the  constant shooting I  wasn’t able to  watch them. I  watch a  lot of  films. I also do a lot  of  house work. I spend a  lot of time talking with  my doctor-friends who are  in the frontline of  the battle against Coronavirus. Kahin na  kahin  unki fiqr  lagi rehti hai.”

Vineet who  has given sterling performances   in  Murabba, Mukkabaaz and Saandh Ki Ankh, feels  the lockdown has  generated  a  new lifestyle. “It felt strange in the beginning. But then one realized this lockdown isn’t going away  in a hurry. So I  created a disciplined daily routine for  myself..Sona uthna khana time pe hone laga. As  an actor  I’ve faced  prolonged periods of  uncertainty of no work  when  I had to  stay home because I had nowhere to go. I know how to survive during uncertainty. I know how to use my workless time to  improve  myself as an actor  and a human being.My struggle  taught  me to improvise  during   the lockdown.”

Vineet  admits he is getting restless.  “But  that restlessness must be curbed. Think positive  thoughts. Whenever I get restless I  think of all those people who don’t have a  roof  over their heads. What  about those stranded on  the roads, or in  hospitals? In comparison I am blessed. Even during  my  struggle  I’d read  about those  great actors who had struggled.It motivated me to  not get  restless.”

Message  for fans? “Don’t think too much  about the  future.  Keep yourself busy reading watching exercize meditation,yoga. Breathing exercises are a  must.And do housework. This is the  time to get close to your  loved ones. Yeh waqt  bhi guzar jayega. Being a   doctor my advice is  to keep your mind calm and peaceful. No point getting agitated.We were running in a race. This  crisis has made  us stop and connect with people.We are  all  waiting together  for the crisis to end .  I hope  we emerge  a more compassionate  people   from this crisis.”