Sidharth Shukla's last interview with Subhash K Jha

National heart-throb Sidharth Shukla whose stint on Bigg Boss renewed his stardom manifold, suddenly found his career frozen by the lockdown.

But he was not complaining. “I see the plight of people who are homeless, migrants who are walking for thousands of miles. And I feel blessed to have a roof on my head and food on the table.”

Sidharth isn’t sure how long the wait is going to be. “No one is sure. Nothing is certain at the moment. We don’t know which way the virus will go. We can only wait for the vaccine. In the meanwhile the lockdown is gradually being eased. Soon, we may be able to go back to work. But how? Have you seen how a film or television set is? Do you know the number of people there? Lightboys cameramen etc have to be right next to you. Can’t be avoided. How do we observe social distancing on the sets?”

In the meanwhile Sidharth is happy to be home. “I admit I am getting restless. But that’s okay. I am leading a disciplined life in lockdown. The only indulgence is sleep. I allow myself to wake up anytime I want to. It could be in the afternoon also. The day begins for me whenever I wake up.”

As for getting restless at home Sidharth says, “Even when there was no lockout I spent most of my time at home when I wasn’t working. I don’t socialize. I don’t party, Being at home with my family is for me the best way to spend my time. Lockdown or no lockdown, that’s how I like it.”

Ever since Bigg Boss, Sidharth’s fan following has gone up by leaps and bounds. How does he feel about the female attention? “How should it feel? Of course I am happy about it. Isn’t this what we work for? I am glad I’m getting all the attention. I hope I prove myself worthy of it.”

Speaking on the spate of suicides on the television industry after the lockdown Sidharth who started his career with a successful stint in the television series Balika Badhu, says, “I suppose it won’t be right for me to comment on this, since I am in a relatively more privileged position. But I can say this. There is a lot of pressure on television actors to take on any work that comes their way. The working hours are long and the pay is not enough. It’s easy to get depressed when you are a television actor.”