Qurnaliya Lovett has danced with stars like Kangana Ranaut and Shah Rukh Khan.
For Bollywood backup dancer Qurnaliya Lovett, 31, the year 2020 had a slow start, but with the lockdown announced in March, work came to a screeching halt.
Although her pre-lockdown dues were cleared, she struggles to pay rent and support her parents back in her hometown. Lovett said, “We are in the third month of being without work. Bollywood Dancers Association is an association of around 800 members, and only 100 have received ration. I have yet to get it. Amitabh Bachchan had provided ration coupons for Rs 1,500 each. Salman Khan, too, deposited Rs 3,000 in our accounts in April, and we are thankful for that.”
She added, “I live in Malad, and I am struggling to pay rent now. My parents are not expecting anything from me because they know I am out of work, but I feel terrible for not being able to help them in their old age.”
Originally from Nagpur, Qurnaliya Lovett came to Mumbai 10 years ago to live her dream and claims to have shared screen space with stars such as “Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kiara Advani, Sunny Leone and Tiger Shroff.” Her roster of films, she says, includes Student Of The Year 2, Good Newzz, Dhoom 3, Bajirao Mastani, ABCD 2, Udta Punjab, Kapoor and Sons, and the latest being Pawan Kalyan’s PSPK27. “Working in so many films, I never thought work would come to a halt like this,” Lovett remarked.
She added, “I am worried about how long this will go on. It could take several months. There are so many of us involved during the making of a song, so social distancing is impossible. A lot of the time, the sanitation factor is lacking on sets. The stars are really particular about their health and hygiene, and why shouldn’t they be? So until they feel secure to return to the sets, no work will happen. And that’s understandable, as we all want to be safe.”