Tech beats lockdown blues

Purnima Sharma

Handling a pair of twins and the husband who, courtesy the lockdown, are now home 24x7, is no mean task, but I have found a way out,” smiles Shweta Hari. The Gurugram-based homemaker is excited about the new ‘vocation’ in her life — online classes on creative writing. “The monotony of household chores and the house full of people all the time was getting to me,” says Hari. Fortunately, while browsing the net, she came across an ‘announcement’ that was something right up her street. “I think the universe conspired to make it happen,” laughs Hari, who now locks herself up in a room for an hour everyday to “think and do the writing exercises” as directed by her online teacher.

If Anne Frank could do it in her little hideout with her family to escape the Nazi atrocities, we should not be complaining — that’s what creative gurus offering free online classes maintain. “If she could do it, so must we,” says filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who has been offering movie-making sessions online. “At a time when social distancing is the mantra to stay safe and healthy, I decided to share my knowledge in the field of my expertise,” he says. The idea, says Agnihotri, is to help people learn a new craft. And those joining in are a diverse lot — doctors, chartered accountants, young students and housewives. “They’re here not just for a lark; they are serious about storytelling and script writing,” says Agnihotri. A painter too, he has been utilising the “confinement time” to make artworks to raise money for daily wage workers. “There are a lot of people in the industry whose livelihood has been affected. I will sell these paintings for them,” he adds.

Negate negativity

People need to get rid of negativity to hold up better in such trying times. “And the best way to do it is by “channelising the creative energy into something positive,” says Mumbai-based author Megha Bajaj. A full-time writer for the past two decades, the author of several books has been conducting online classes for quite some time now. “But from the time the lockdown commenced, these have really taken off,” she says. “That’s perhaps because there are many creative people who had hitherto not found time to try their hand at writing.”

With the fear of the virus dominating our mind and lives, Bajaj feels “it’s easy to spiral down towards depressive thoughts”. That’s why she tries to ensure her classes and ‘homework exercises’ leave people “positive and cheerful”. Citing an example, she talks about a CEO of a financial firm who has set his sights on floating his own blog after attending a few sessions.

It’s not just fear and anxiety but also ennui that’s compelling people to look at options “other than movies, serials and telefilms” to keep themselves occupied, says Kaushalya Reddy, a kuchipudi dancer. Together with Raja and Radha Reddy, she had been running classes at their Natya Taringini Performing Arts Centre until coronavirus struck. Her daughter Bhawna, also a kuchipudi dancer, came up with a solution: she suggested they go digital and conduct classes online. “Besides regular classes with our senior students, we are now offering online sessions to introduce the fundamentals of kuchipudi to those interested,” she says. “It sure helps to have tech-savvy youngsters in the family.” Bhawna gives live demonstrations on adavus from Natya Shashtra and Bharatarnavam.

“It’s not just a new and amazing experience for us but also very challenging,” says the danseuse who pitches in from her home in the US. “Among many others who have joined in is a woman from Brazil who had once attended a workshop conducted by my parents in her school. She is now brushing up on her kuchipudi,” smiles Bhawna. “We show students like her the correct mudras, leg movements and arm gestures that they can practise later. Thankfully, technology is allowing us to stay connected not only with our students but also reach out to the outside world,” says Kaushalya.

Agrees chef Nishant Choubey, famous for introducing the vast repertoire of traditional Bihari dishes to the discerning Delhi foodies. Post the home-confinement directive, he has shifted his focus to offer online classes on healthy food. “I am now showcasing stuff that is easy to prepare with ingredients available on the kitchen shelf. What I am also keeping in mind is that it must be light and healthy,” says the Michelin-plated chef who has been teaching his students preparations like haldi ki kanji and thecha chutney that enhance immunity. “My aim is to help people discover the joys of traditional stuff like sil-batta and imam-dasta for different preparations.

Some food for thought that!

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