Due to COVID-19, people were introduced to the concept of 'Work From Home'. Sofas and couches replaced office chairs and comfortable pyjamas became our OOTD. People got used to virtual meetings and even online weddings! Now, in the era of Work From Home, actor-producer Vikaas Kalantri shot for a short film at home highlighting the scenario at every Indian household currently.
In the middle of the second lockdown, Vikaas and his wife Priyanka Kalantri gave a hilarious spin to a tiresome lockdown with their short film titled Work From Home. Actor-couple Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee made a special appearance in the short film which released on May 13, 2020. As the film is garnering much appreciation, PeepingMoon got in touch with Vikaas for a fun conversation. Talking to us, the actor-producer opened up about the challenges of working from home. He also said that the Government of India should provide some relief to the entertainment industry during the lockdown. For the unversed, Vikaas, Priyanka and their son had tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2020.
Excerpts from the interview:
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How and when did you conceptualise your short film Work From Home?
I’m not a fan of work from home. When the concept of people working from home was introduced in 2020, I was averse to it. I’m more of an office kind of person. I can go to the office and start thinking of ideas. That’s when the idea of Work From Home came. Everything was back on track after the first lockdown was lifted. When the second lockdown started, I thought this is the right time to put out my frustration in the form of a short film.
As you said you aren’t a work from home person. How has this phase been for you?
It’s been very challenging. When you are in the office, you have your cabin and you start working. But at home, there are other things also that you need to look into. There are home chores that you need to do, food orders etc. I try to lock myself in a room but my kid keeps knocking because he knows I am inside. Sometimes, I have to play with him. When you are at home, your wife keeps telling you, “Arey yeh thoda kar lo. Groceries ke liye bahar chalo.” When you are in office, all these things are avoided.
Have you ever divided household responsibilities with Priyanka?
I have, in fact, I have to do it, no option. Since she knows that I am at home, she takes her time in waking up in the morning. She knows that I will manage things. Work from home has such disadvantages.
Was it challenging to shooting at home?
It wasn’t challenging because we all have our equipment at home. We shot at our home and Gurmeet-Debina were at their residence. The only common factor was Romanch Mehtha. He took the mantle of being the cameraman and creative director. We shot the entire film in just 2 days. He told the other characters to shoot the scenes and send it to us.
You, Priyanka and your son had contracted COVID-19. How mentally stressful was it?
Honestly, we didn’t panic. We took it in our stride and dealt with it normally. We both got symptoms together and my wife suggested that we should get tested. The only stressful thing was our son. We were worried about him but my sister took care of him for 5 days before he tested positive.
The moment you test early and start treating this disease, I guess 90% of the people will be okay. The issue is people are delaying the diagnosis and treatment. People assume, “Yeh toh viral hai, cough hai,” I don’t think it is the same thing. That’s when it turns serious and it aggravates. The ideal thing is you should treat yourself early.
Of course, it is more dangerous than normal flu. I heard from doctors that the disease aggravates if you panic. People around you shouldn’t spread fear. If you worry ki mujhe ho gaya toh what about my family, I won't survive, things will take a fatal turn. COVID-19 is curable and you should get yourself treated on time if you get any symptoms.
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You are a producer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shoots have been stalled and income is minimal. Will the industry ever revive after the lockdown is lifted?
I think it will. The government should support a lot. You announce a lockdown without providing any measures to the industry. It’s been more than a year and everything is shut. When the theatres opened, big films weren’t releasing. The only film that did well was Roohi even if it was 50% capacity in theatres. But no big films released and the second lockdown was declared after producers announced the release dates of their projects. Even a big film like Radhe released on OTT. I’m sure they must have got their money but nothing can be compared to a film earns in theatres. In such cases, people start cutting down people and many lose their jobs. If you have a crew of 200 people, you’ll bring it down to 100, which further gets cut down to 50. Most of the people in the industry are daily wage workers. They are the most affected. Producers get affected as income doesn’t come in. So, I hope some subsidy is provided, taxes are reduced or some relief is provided. The real entertainment is screen entertainment. I’m a fan of theatres and OTT can never replace it.
Do you think Cine associations should unite to provide financial help to celebrities, producers, and daily wage workers?
I agree but, a lot of people are doing their bit. CINTAA, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and other actors, including me, have done their bit for the industry and daily wage workers. But individuals have limited power in their hands. The government has to come in because the entertainment industry is the backbone of India. The country is known for Bollywood. The government has to understand and recognise it as an industry. Till today, there has been no budget that has spoken about the film industry. The government has to understand the needs of the industry as entertainment has suffered the most.
