We are learning new things about the virus every day. We don’t know how much is enough: Ali Asgar

Ali Asgar talks about the anxiousness he felt when he started shooting again and the problems he is dealing with. He says one can’t help feel scared and anxious while on set.

“It is fun to be on the sets to shoot but saari excitement level apni jagah hai because due to Covid-19, anxiousness and darr ka mahaul bana rehta hai,” says actor-comedian Ali Asgar, who is busy shooting for a TV show these days.

Ali Asgar says the biggest scare for him “was to take the mask off and do a scene”.(Aalok Soni/HT PHOTO)

Asgar talks about the anxiousness he felt when he started shooting again and the problems he is dealing with. “No one knows everything about Covid-19 and there are a number of cases where people who are at home and not stepped out, yet got infected. We are learning new things every day. We don’t know how much is enough (to avoid being infected). My first day of shoot was very difficult. I was scared to use the washroom as I wasn’t sure about the water. I was sanitizing everything I touched often and going crazy doing it. Being at home and sanitising stuff at home is different from being with people and working in a group. My kids made fun of me as I sanitise everything,” says Asgar.

 

The actor says the biggest scare for him “was to take the mask off and do a scene”. He adds, “The initial few times, it was tough but later, all of us got used to it. Most people believe that the other person won’t be infected, which is okay but that shouldn’t result in people getting lax in their safety measures.”

A shoot day is a long day from the actor, who shares that he wakes up at 6am and leaves home by 7.30am. He had trouble eating food on the set as “it was a long process of cleaning the surface area” and then opening the lunch box. “I couldn’t snack while on the shoot floor as one keeps touching things around. So, my wife cuts the fruit and gave me tooth picks to use, which makes it easier to eat on the set. Moreover, due to my shoot, my wife too has additional stuff to do at home from sanitising everything that I take to the set, packing lunch, snacks, fruits for the whole day, to keeping hot water, steam and kadha ready when I reach home at 10pm. I take a bath first, then steam, then sip hot water and later kadha and only then I talk to my family. It is quite tough and one has to keep all steps in mind. Missing anything might cost us,” he says.

 

Asgar is shooting for a new TV show called Akbar Ka Bal Birbal, where he plays the role of King Akbar. He says, “I am glad to have got an interesting project which is unlike my previous comedy shows. Playing the role of Akbar with a humourous side, based on the stories we have heard of Akbar Birbal. It is exciting to be part of a sitcom, as my last TV show was Woh Teri Bhabhi Hai Pagle, four-five years ago. Of course, I have been on TV in popular shows Comedy Nights With Kapil and The Kapil Sharma Show, but this serial is unlike the work I did in those shows