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“Forbearance! That was his rock,” gushes eminent Mumbai physician Dr Deepak Solanki. The lockdown for him is a time for compassion and connecting to his beloved ideal, Mahatma Gandhi through The Life of Mahatma Gandhi by Louis Fischer. He continuously empowers his patients with examples of how the Mahatma battled out impossible situations throughout his struggles, even during fatal epidemics like cholera. While many combat shock, depression and anxiety, scores across the globe utilise this time to enrich, practice and channelise their creativity and spirituality. Inspiring us with their exuberant optimism are leading names who have brought home their diversely creative fields.
Vikram Bhatt, Bollywood filmmaker
“At the onset, I must admit that this lockdown is not something unusual for me. I am an introvert and this is more or less my life when I am not working” smiles the Raaz Reboot, Ghost and 1921 horror honcho. Hours seem less for the 51-year-old who engages in writing stories, reading and meditating. “I surf the net, play my PS4 games and stare at the ceiling, an activity I would recommend to anyone who has forgotten the art of daydreaming. Dreaming is the bedrock of ambition” Bhatt gleams. “Meditation is another activity I would recommend. If you can understand that the real you is trapped in a body in any case and is going to run its course, it means you have within you an energy that is okay to be trapped for years. Then you can tell your body to do the same, in a lockdown, for a few weeks”. That’s Vikram Bhatt’s spiritual mantra.
Jawed Habib, celebrated hairstylist
The Forbes A-lister with a $30 million global enterprise is in high spirits. “I work on my hair for a whole hour every day. This period has come as a blessing when I can enjoy healthy hair due to the absence of air pollution and cool weather in the morning. I experiment with my hair packs, pre-conditioning, shampoo and blow-dry,” he shares. Along with formulating and creating hair-nourishing packs with natural bases like turmeric, saffron, Multani mitti and beetroot, Jawed spends ample time on fitness and live Facebooking with industry professionals each day. He says, “The whole industry awaits me at 5 pm everyday on Facebook. Despite physical social distancing, the joy of connecting with fans and followers through cyberspace is deeply synergizing”. Depression, he says, is a mere choice. “ Wake up
every morning feeling like a ‘dulhe raja’ ( bridegroom), energized with
verve and enthusiasm” Jawed chuckles!
Silky Ahluwalia & Prithi Monga, new-age fashion designers of label Chillosophy
The dynamic duo of Silky Ahluwalia and Prithi Monga are eagerly looking forward to the Lakme Fashion Week where they’ve been invited to showcase their avant-garde fashion label Chillosophy. Says Silky, “Our ‘Stay Positive’ manifesto inspires me to create mood boards, scripts for my new collection and learn to make paper patterns myself. Although fashion would be the last thing on people’s minds right now, as artists I am sure there will be alternative platforms to keep our spirits alive.”
Prithi’s spiritual readings, numerology and daily team prayers continually energise them. She opines, “Positivity doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It means even during hard times, you continue hoping for better ones.”
Pandit Nayan Ghosh, internationally- acclaimed Tabla & Sitar maestro
“Classical musicians are anyway habituated with spending long hours for riyaaz or rigorous practice,” explains the senior maestro who considers the lockdown as a golden opportunity for musicians to grow and emerge stronger. It makes him look forward to a brighter, concert-filled future.
“Along with riyaaz and imparting taleem to students online, I work on my willpower, dig into my vast repertoire, expand it and try my best to make it more presentable,” he says. Pandit Ghosh also recommends listening to ragas that have a calming effect. “Ragas performed by acknowledged musicians, if heard at prescribed times of the day can help pep spirits up, fight depression and evoke positivity,” he says.
Leena Mogre, celebrity fitness expert
Renowned for her deep insight into fitness, Leena Mogre balances both aspects of health- nutrition and exercise. “I am experimenting with nutritious cuisine, both international and traditional Indian. Keto is fashionable and many of our dishes are naturally keto, like the delicious Maharashtrian thali peeth with white butter for instance. It’s a time to go back to our roots and innovate with staple dishes like bhaakhri, potato mix or khichdi” she says. Boost immunity, fight corona is her slogan. As home workouts become increasingly innovative with gyms shut, Mogre creatively devices workouts through daily chores like mopping the floor. “Mopping with the underutilised left hand for a change, quite like functional training, works wonders. And of course, carrying heavy buckets up and down the stairs,” she adds.