Actor-entertainer Javed Jaffrey’s son Meezan Jaffrey who made his debut last year in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali production Malaal, is happily quarantined at a friend’s farmhouse in the outskirts of Mumbai.
Speaking from his secure haven Meezan sighs, “I’ve nothing to complain about. The lockdown has been pretty productive for me. I am at a friend’s farmhouse where I read distressing news of daily wage-earning walking thousands of miles without food to reach home. I consider myself lucky to get three meals a day.”
However, eating is far from Meezan’s mind right now. “I’m fasting for Ramzaan and I am cheating myself into not eating. I wake up by late afternoon. Then I go for a walk with my friends. After that, I break my fast, go to the gym to train for 3-4 hours. After that I shower, eat again. Then I sit with my friends and play the guitar to entertain them. There’s a piano here as well. And I play lots of video games. I am also watching old films, Hindi and Hollywood classics that I haven’t seen but I should have,”
Meezan is also taking the time off to do some serious soul searching.“A lot of introspection going on…Not only me, I think everyone is doing a lot of that right now. I have a whole career ahead and this is a good time for me to think about what I should do and not do. This quarantine has prompted a lot of thought processes in me.”
Unlike many Bollywood celebrities, Meezan isn’t sleeping it out during the lockdown. “I’m on a Keto diet. That automatically reduces one’s sleeping hours. I sleep only 5-6 hours. So I have a lot of free time to do all the things that I want to do.”
But Meezan is homesick. “I miss my family back home in Mumbai. It was actually my birthday in March. We came to this farmhouse of a friend’s for a post-birthday weekend and got stuck in the lockdown. But the good thing is, I am with close friends and we’re having fun every day.”
Meezan is using the quarantine time to brush up his skills. “I’m brushing up on my guitar and piano. I am in talks for some action films so I am working out for that.”
Meezan urges the privileged to come forward at a time like this. “If you can afford to help the needy, please do. This is the time to reach out in any way that you can. Those who are homeless and have no food must be helped. My father is doing all he can for them in Mumbai. Everyone should do their best. But please don’t flaunt whatever you are doing for people. Do what you can. But please don’t talk about it.”
