Ideally, Nimrat Kaur would like to be quarantined with Brad Pitt
Gurnaaz Kaur
It’s during the lockdown that American series Homeland had its last episode, the response to which has been overwhelming for Nimrat Kaur, who played the role of an ISI agent. She misses work and says she was supposed to be filming a Hindi film but Covid-19 had other plans. Being all by herself in the house with bad news coming from all corners, the first few days were rocky for her. But now, she has found a route that is self-serving and full of conscious choices.
How has it been to live in a lockdown?
It’s not all bad. I have to say that I have had a really interesting self-discovery process. My initial years have come to my rescue. Discipline has been a big part of my upbringing. My father was an Army person. I need to stick to some sort of routine. Interestingly, life has come to the basics—cleaning and cooking. It’s this childlike space, devoid of anxiety or rush to do something or go somewhere. I have found a great rhythm.
A new habit that you may have formed or a practice encouraged by this time…
I started reaching out to one new person whom I have not been in touch with—people I’ve worked with, studied, travelled—and it has been very nice to reconnect.
A gift that has come out of this adversity?
It’s taking out time for self without any guilt. Life was racing and it felt wrong to stop and simply relax. That fear of missing out is not there anymore. I love this time. I’ve looked into things that I couldn’t, books I’ve not read, sorting my closet, building a healthy relationship with social media, which I wasn’t doing even when I knew I had to.
Any lesson from this difficult time?
Genuinely, I learnt how to live for today. It has become so much about the current 24 hours. All the balls have dropped. We don’t know when we are going to start work, what work would it be. Will it be few months, a year. No one knows.
New hobby, thanks to Covid-19…
Cooking! It’s something I’ve loved but never had the time for. I’ve started to cook dishes I’ve grown up on, nothing fancy. It’s a legacy my mom, grandmom made. I Facetime with my mother and she guides me through the whole thing. I now know how to make kadi-chawal, chicken kofta and a lot more. It feels like a great achievement.
If you had a choice, who would you like to be quarantined with?
Brad Pitt.
What changes do you predict in society and in your own life once things get better?
Friends and family are going to be our new currency. We won’t take things for granted. We have become quite immune to the availability of resources, the abundance of choices. In dire state, you don’t care about the car you drive, the money you have but the people who give you warmth and stand by your side.
What did you miss during this time?
I dearly miss being able to run on the beach, I miss meeting friends, I miss physical contact, that warmth, a hug. This is all so dry, makes a difference at the subconscious level.
What is your take-home message from this global pandemic?
Adverse circumstance can bring out both good and bad. I wish we were less susceptible to evil.
A word of hope for Punjab…
I have to say, I am so deeply proud of being a Sikh. The Sikh community is rock solid. Always at the forefront, ready to help everyone.
A story of inspiration from the land of Punjab…
Assistant constable Harjit Singh. He went through such a horrible tragedy, the laborious surgery. He had a smile on his face when he came out of it. A wonderful picture of courage! It inspired me so much that we have officers like him looking after the law and order in our society.
