HYDERABAD : All my wonderful action plans, ideas, film shoots, shopping, travel, day dreams, etc  went for a toss when the deadly Coronavirus  struck the world and brought it to a grinding halt. It became a total entertainer of sorts! Initially I was glued to the TV and social media, day in day out, trying to catch up with Corona updates. It almost got into my system (pun unintended) to the exclusion of all my other daily chores! Nothing was done on time including the meals, till my hunger pangs drove me to the kitchen! 

Being a science graduate and a former science journalist, I was aware of the wider ramifications of this highly virulent strain of Covid-19. Also being a home bird on and off, I could easily get into the self-isolation mode much before the inevitable lockdown was announced. Hubby and son did innumerable trips to stock up with groceries and provisions. Their brains went into a tizzy. Taking full advantage of the lockdown, they dictated a long list of delicacies to be cooked and gorged down. As I enjoy cooking, it was a pleasure to rustle them up, one after the other. My Facebook lives while I cook are pretty popular too, giving me a few thousand views and compliments from fans, friends and family.

But first I have my own deadlines. Apart from putting pickles that can last the whole year and crunchies and munchies, better known as vodiyalu, I gotta finish reading Dan Brown’s  Digital Fortress and Paulo Coelho’s Adultery.  Being a health and a fitness freak, I can’t  afford to miss out on my early morning brisk walks and daily yoga routine. Being a strict vegetarian, helps me to be a lot slimmer.  

I’m using this period to finish my landscape paintings as I’m watching TV and simultaneously giving painting lessons to my eldest son. As an actor who loves to interact with fans, I feel obliged to keep my Facebook fans engaged by going ‘live’ with my cookery shows or with my latest posts and pictures. My daughter-in-law Preeti in Goa and I WhatsApp each other our recipes and my son sends his reactions through photographs. 

The lockdown also has its share of positive aspects despite the fact that it grossly impacted the economy and the livelihood of thousands of people across the nation, including the film industry, one of the largest in the world. The most surprising factor is that, it has transported us in a time capsule back to that era, when life was slow-paced and peaceful. Though unwittingly we pressed the fast forward button, it’s never too late to rewind and go slow. We can at best collectively abide by the quarantine and health guidelines set by the government to quickly conquer the virus. Humanity has definitely learnt plenty of lessons from this pandemic, I guess.  - Sandhya Janak, Tollywood actor