For Dheeraj Dhoopar, happiness is luxury in these testing times

The actor says keeping the morale up in trying times is tough. He admits to feeling scared and disturbed after reading the news every day

He’s been in Goa since over a month now to shoot his daily TV show, Kundali Bhagya. But since the lockdown there, Dheeraj Dhoopar’s in a limbo in a hotel with his wife-actor, Vinny Arora and his dog, Oreo. The production unit was planning to shift to Hyderabad but after a lockdown there as well, the team is looking for a different location.

Dheeraj feels the industry is trying to keep entertaining the audiences this year.

The actor says, “Shifting from one place to another is tough for the whole unit as there is a lot of stuff. They are looking for a place where they can be for the next few months. Currently, we have a good episode bank, so that is taken care of. Once things are locked, we will shift. I have been in my hotel and not stepped out as it is not safe. I have been in constant touch with the production team.”

Being in Goa during a lockdown with cases rising, staying positive and mentally strong is a task. Dhoopar reveals he was scared about the rising number of cases in Mumbai and later in Goa, too. Even some of his peers and friends contracting Covid-19 has affected him. He explains, “I heard about (actor) Anirudh Dave’s condition and it was scary. I was not okay about going on set to shoot as I was concerned. I told them that I was scared and want to go back to Mumbai. But my production team had a word and ensured me that we would maintain all protocols and strictly follow guidelines. In Goa, we have lesser number of people on set than in Mumbai and everyone is following all SOPs. People know that if they don’t wear a mask on set, they are barred from shoot.” Later, he decided to stay back as his family was with him and he didn’t want take a risk by traveling either.

In these troubling times when one is not just disturbed after reading the news every day regarding people struggling for oxygen, beds, the rise in Covid cases, and now also the cyclone and Uttarakhand landslide, Dhoopar admits that even personally, shooting in difficult times in Goa and being in a limbo about work as shoots have stalled there is also affecting him. The actor says keeping the morale up in trying times is tough. “I am in a safe place in Goa in a beautiful location with my family, who are all healthy – that makes me happy. I feel, happiness is luxury in these testing times. News not just about Covid but also natural calamities worry and disturb you. It is a difficult time for all and I wish this ends soon. Staying in touch with family and ensuring their safety is a stress buster. You know, I left my Mumbai home on April 8 and now it has been a month, since then and I am missing my home. Last year, we didn’t shoot at all for months. We saw the worst. This year, at least, we are working. This is not the best scenario to work. The industry is trying and we are continuing working.”