Ahead of the release of Madhur Bhandarkar’s INDIA LOCKDOWN that’s going to release on Zee 5 streaming platform on 2nd December 2022, Cineblues spoke to the spunky and talented Aahana Kumra who plays Moon Alves, an airhostess. Here are the excerpts:
What attracted you to India Lockdown?
What was most important for me was to be part of a historical documentation of a life-altering event that affected the entire human race. I so much wanted to be part of the project which talks about the global problem that we faced together and overcame together. Madhur ji has managed to tell four different stories from four strata of life. I play a high-flying airhostess for a commercial airline who gets confined to the four corners of her flat due to the lockdown. How she craves for companionship forms her part of the story.
Sai Tamhankar told us in our interaction that she is curious to see how your character unfurls in the film.
Smiles]Moon is battling loneliness. It can be so devastating. She is not morose though. She is full of life and an urbane woman. She keeps hopping places as part of her job. But when the pandemic grips the nation, she has absolutely no idea on how to deal with the problem. When I contracted COVID, I stayed in isolation for 21 days. So I tried to bring out some learned nuances into Moon.
Tell us about your personal experiences during the lockdown
The first lockdown during 2020 was OK for me. I gave a lot of time to myself and did things which I hadn’t done due to my busy schedule. But the 2nd wave and its terrifying effects were devastating. The anxiety that engulfed the human mind is indescribable. We should be thankful to the Almighty that we came out stronger because of that. It taught us the value of gratitude and humility.
Many celebrities flew to Maldives and were posting pics on their social media handles when the common man was battling the horrors of the lockdown.
Do we get to see those aspects in the film since Madhur is known to throw harsh truths of any topic he depicts in his films. Why didn’t you give this idea to him earlier [Laughs!].He could have shot my scenes in Maldives! But no, you wont get to see those aspects in India Lockdown.
One word for INDIA LOCKDOWN.
Celebration of the Human Spirit! “This too shall pass away”
You have back-to-back releases this month. INDIA LOCKDOWN followed by SALAAM VENKY.How do you feel.
I am enjoying the space I am in currently. Even during the lockdowns, I was constantly shooting. I had five releases last year. In fact my spot boy once called me and persuaded me to work, “Aap kaam pe jaoge toh humein bhi kaam milega”.
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