The lockdown across Maharashtra to combat the second wave of COVID-19 has affected the celebrities as much as the man in the street. Shraddha Das, who is currently in Mumbai, says she’s having a tough time, but Buddhist chants are helping her cope with the situation.
“I have been sitting at home for the last 10 days doing nothing,” shares Shraddha. “The lockdown is so frustrating. I used to work out regularly earlier, but with the new restrictions I am unable to go out.”
“Revealing that she hadn’t felt this bad even during the previous lockdown,” she says perhaps her mother’s health condition has had an impact on her. “My mother tested positive for COVID-19 last month. That news terrified me. I stay in Andheri West while she stays in Chembur. I called her every 15 minutes to check up on her, and would get scared when she didn’t answer my call sometimes. It was so tough on me,” the actress says.
“Those 20 days were a test of endurance, and the anxiety took a lot out of me.”
Shraddha says she has been practicing Buddhism, and if it hadn’t been for this, she would have gone crazy. “I chant Nam myoho renge kyo. It gives me peace, strength and makes me stay composed,” she shares.
It was fellow actress Poonam Bajwa who introduced Shraddha to Buddhism six years back, and it has wrought several changes in her life. “It gave me a different perspective about life and made me stronger,” the actress says.
On the work front, Shraddha Das will be seen as a Sanyasini in the Telugu film Ek Mini Katha directed by Karthik Rapolu. While the film stars Santosh Shobhan and Kavya Thapar, Shraddha’s role is crucial.
“It’s a quirky and fun role; it’s an impactful role that makes a lot of difference to the film. Moreover, I had never played a Sanyasini earlier, so when the role was offered to me it was intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed playing the character,” explains the actress.
“Looks-wise too, I have never sported such a hairstyle on screen; I was initially worried how I would look, but the director designed my character and costumes beautifully, the colour palettes he used were also inspiring,” the actress says adding that she wears sarees throughout the film.
Shraddha says the role resonated with her because certain aspects of the character matched her real-life personality. “I always ask for the scenes early so that I can prepare. I have never been to the sets unprepared. This role is short but impactful,” she signs off.
