Nothing is better than going home to family and spending time with them!! We have all felt this emotional connection with our loved ones every time we have been away from them!! For an individual, family is his life and everything else comes second with respect to importance!! This is true in most cases!! But our very own ‘Entertainment Warriors’, (if we can call them this) in these times of struggle, where the feeling of sorrow has engulfed one and all more than the smiling streak of happiness, have left no stone unturned in spreading the warmth of happiness with their lively entertainment and drama!!
Yes, the TV industry in Mumbai was on a ‘Vanvaas’ for nearly two months, having been snatched off their home ground (shoot spaces in Mumbai) owing to the tight lockdown restrictions enforced in Maharashtra due to the terrible spread of COVID infections in its second wave.
The result was that the teams very spiritedly walked out of their comfort zone, having their writing pens tighter, giving their scripts the needed tweak in the plot, and brought home all the exciting entertainment possible while shooting at outside locations.
As we write this, we are extremely happy and relieved that there have been no reports of bio-bubble formed for the TV shoots getting burst. Shoots happened very smoothly and in fact, every team has come back richer and stronger having known members of their cast and crew so very well in these two months.
Kudos to the cast and crew for making it possible!!
Well, we at IWMBuzz.com talked to a few of the celebrities of the TV industry, to know of their ‘tough moments’ being away from family, and also on their thoughts on how relieved, they feel as they have gotten back to their loved ones.
Says Sudhanshu Pandey of Star Plus show and Rajan Shahi show Anupamaa, “When you are staying away from your family, especially earlier during the pre-Covid times, things were very easy. You could do whatever you wanted to do. You would stay at good five-star hotels, chill during free time and get back home. But now, the scenario was quite different. We were at a place called Khanvel Resort. It was not a convenient place to live in because of the heat. Also, with so much available to eat on a platter, when you are used to eating limitedly, things are tough. Also, the bio bubble ambiance stopped any kind of movement outside. It was tough, but I would thank God that we were working, and making money for ourselves, even during these trying times.”
There is a saying that ‘Distance makes love grow stronger’. In Juhi Parmar’s case who is presently playing the lead in Zee TV’s Hamariwali Good News, this saying was totally true. Says Juhi, “This saying was definitely a lot more applicable for me and my family in the last 2 months, when I was shooting outside of Mumbai. There were days when I would just feel like coming back home to Samairra and my parents, but I knew my responsibility as an actor towards my show. At the same time, it was a relief that my parents and Samairra were safe at home and would not have been exposed to me going back and forth from the set. Yes, those 2 months were definitely a very emotional phase for me, being away from them for so long.”
View Instagram Post 1: Back From Vanvaas: ‘Happy Reunion’ with family post COVID ‘distance’ shoot
Rohitashv Gour who plays one of the central characters in &TV’s Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain, tells us, “We have been mostly at home, during the lockdown with our families. When we got to know that we had to shoot away from Mumbai, it was like we were being supplied with the much-needed oxygen which our systems badly needed. In a place like Surat, it was wonderful to be in. Yes, I used to miss my family, no doubt. But I guess since we stayed with them for a long time last year, when no shoots happened, there was a kind of balance that got created. I used to talk to them often, on video calls and phone talks.”
For Vijayendra Kumeria who plays the lead in Star Plus’ Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha, it was a tough task to stay away from his family and little kid. “I was waiting for the moment when I could get back to be with my family and kiddo. I did not get any off, so I did not get any chance to meet them. I used to have a lot of video calls with them. I was very eager to get back to my family and used to ask the production people of the return plan frequently. I also wanted to get my test done before I went home. I missed them a lot; I missed the home-cooked food, my house. It was lovely when I got back home. Everyone was so happy. I am happy now being in Mumbai.”
Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi, lead of Zee TV’s Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti says that he missed his family a lot. “We missed each other a lot. There is no place like home. But this separation was tough, as I knew that they were taking care of themselves without me being there to support them. Staying alone, tending for themselves, I was worried for my family. I missed my kids. This was a kind of a trap where we were stuck to where we were. It was a tough situation to be in. When I got back, my family was extremely happy. We had a good time together. I am happy to be back to my comfort zone, that is my house. Looking at the brighter side of being away from home, this gave us a good opportunity to bond well with our cast and crew. It was a good time with them.”
Mayuri Deshmukh who plays one of the leads in Star Plus show Imlie, says, “Life away from Mumbai was definitely tough. We are so used to home-cooked food, your space, your comfort, your own people etc. We certainly missed that, but we created a family of our co-stars and colleagues. The way to connect with the family in Mumbai was obviously through video calls and phone talks. Thanks to today’s technology, the distance did not seem too tough to handle. I missed my parents’ anniversary, missed my mother’s birthday, when I was away from them. The cakes were cut on video calls. The reunion of course, was amazing. However, even after coming back, I kept myself away from my family till I got my tests done and the results came. We were all happy to see each other, but we did keep a good distance for few days.”
Sudhanshu Pandey recollects the nostalgic moments staying with the cast and crew, “It was a great bonding out there with them. With my family, I used to Facetime with them 2-3 times in a day. I would talk to my wife, kids, and two of our 4-legged babies, thanks to technology, we were happy that way.”
Talking about the priceless reunion that Juhi Parmar had with her daughter Samairra, she says, “Our moment of reunion was and is priceless! I knew I had to make it a surprise for her, and seeing the immense happiness and joy on her face when she saw me back home made me feel truly special!. I have never been away from Samairra for this long at a stretch, and especially in a phase like the pandemic which was worrisome for us all, so yes it was tough! It was definitely a challenge being away from her for so long, but at the end of the day knowing that she was safe at home made my being away from her for work a lot easier.”
Rohitashv Gour had a happy reunion with his family. “I shot a few dance videos with my family as soon as I got back home. It was a good hit, and it got us a lot of followers and views in millions on Instagram. This was the first task that we carried out as a family once I got back home (smiles).”
View Instagram Post 2: Back From Vanvaas: ‘Happy Reunion’ with family post COVID ‘distance’ shoot
Sudhanshu Pandey gave his family a big surprise when he returned, “They did not know that I was coming back. They were really kicked when they saw me after 53 days. We sat together, laughed, listened to good music, and had good food. I loved to sleep on my own bed, that was nothing less than bliss.”
Juhi and Samairra were inseparable after she got home. “There was not even a moment that we wanted to be away from each other. The night I came back, I went to sleep hugging her and doing so was immensely relieving. We planned a binge-watching series of Jurassic World 3 which released while I was away and is also her all-time favourite series, which she patiently waited to only watch with me when I was back. We played a lot of indoor games and caught up on lots of stories and talks which were pending in these 2 months. She loves hearing my shoot stories, a name she has given to all the experiences I share with her from shoot, so I gave her a good laydown of all that happened on set in the last 2 months. I cooked some meals for her as well, which she thoroughly enjoyed eating. Overall the last week or so has been all about quality family time which my parents, Samairra and I truly enjoyed.”
Aww!! These are indeed emotional incidents that will remain in memory forever!!
Stay United, Stay Happy!!