• Aahana Kumra portrays a commercial pilot who experiences claustrophobia and loneliness throughout that time.
• Aahana discusses portraying what is sometimes referred to be a “first world problem”.
• She acknowledges that her experience of isolation was not pleasant.

The issues that individuals in different parts of the country encountered during the second nationwide lockdown that was enforced in April 2020 are highlighted in the upcoming movie India Lockdown. Aahana Kumra portrays a commercial pilot who experiences claustrophobia and loneliness throughout that time. Aahana discusses portraying what is sometimes referred to be a “first world problem” and her own experience of loneliness while participating in COVID-19.

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Aahana acknowledges that many people would think her character’s problems are insignificant at first glance. The other characters in the movie are either unpaid sex workers or migrant workers who must travel hundreds of kilometres to get home. Talking about her character, she says, “This can be a first world problem but it’s a real problem for many people. It still needs to be addressed. It is incredible that this is not even supposed to be a problem in this country. If you are seeking assistance for mental health, you are considered paagal (crazy). I am glad this film puts forward that conversation.”
When Aahana was given the Covid-19 diagnosis and had to be placed in quarantine, she experienced loneliness and seclusion for the first time. “Thank goodness, I had a reference,” she says with a laugh, before clarifying that she as a person is very different from her character, “I do believe that during the pandemic, these conversations did come forward when people spoke about mental health and being lonely. I have been alone many times but I am not lonely. I do reach out to people.”

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She acknowledges that her experience of isolation was not pleasant. “Having said that, when I was in isolation, I was very anxious. I had never experienced anxiety in my life. I remember getting out and I was very riled up. Anything happened and I would scream, throwing fits. And I would wonder what has happened to me. I started questioning my sanity. I would ask why I am behaving like this. I realized I was being rude to everyone at home. It was not me. You do realize that your mental health gets affected,” recalls Aahana.

In the Madhur Bhandarkar-directed film India Lockdown, Prateik Babbar, Shweta Basu Prasad, Sai Tamhankar, and Prakash Belawadi also make appearances. Zee5 will debut the movie on December 2.