Parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, have registered a spike in Covid-19 cases once again and we are staring at another lockdown. On Sunday, the Mayor of Mumbai, Kishori Pednekar had issued a warning, directing citizens to follow the rules or face a lockdown. Yesterday, CM Uddhav Thackeray declared that he will be reviewing the need for a fresh lockdown after eight days.

There’s no denying that people have thrown caution to the wind and resumed life with gusto as if nothing had happened in 2020. ETimes spoke to some actors to get their perspective on the situation. Here’s what they had to say…

Jackie Shroff: What can I say about people who’re being callous? Who will listen to me? If you value your life, you must wear a mask. When I travel or I am on the sets, fans want me to remove my mask and if I refuse, they feel offended.

Poonam Dhillon: People can definitely be more careful, but instead they have started feeling that Covid is over. Many of them ask me why am I being so paranoid since ‘Covid is gone’. I firmly believe we should continue taking full precautions–wearing masks, washing hands, and sanitising. And more importantly, we must stop ridiculing people who are cautious. Stop going to crowded places; it’s avoidable. Also, I recommend inhaling steam when you get back home, if you’ve been out.


Pooja Bedi: I think the hysteria about Covid is disproportionate. The infection rate makes no difference, the death rate does. India, with a population of 1.3 billion has seen 156K deaths due to covid and its associated co-morbidities. Tuberculosis kills almost 500K (over 3 times more than Covid) yearly in India and we never locked down or wore masks or put the economy at a standstill. Even the common flu, for that matter, kills up to 500K worldwide every year. If you look at it in perspective, the loss of jobs, stress levels, lack of exercise, fear psychosis etc. has caused way more damage than Covid itself. If you observe farmers protests, migrants moving to villages, Dharavi slums, and the open life in Goa–it has only gone on to validate that no masks, no social distance, cold weather, and other factors of fear, do not kill people en mass, but have, in fact, strengthened the theory of herd immunity.


Pratik Gandhi: I have seen people in public places without masks and that’s the most irresponsible behaviour to inflict harm on themselves and others. I know we all have to start working at some point of time but we also need to understand the basics of the ‘new normal’ and learn to live with all precautions being taken at every step.


Aahana Kumra: The whole world has been careless. I can’t single out Mumbai. As for this city, well, people have no choice but to go to work. Clubs scare me. But then, you should also point at the Dadar market, in fact, every market in the city–I see no one wearing a mask. People just seem to have forgotten 2020. I hope there isn’t another lockdown.

Pahlaj Nihalani: I think the fact that the local trains have started is one of the main reasons for this spike. I am not saying that the locals should not have been pressed into service again, but you can’t bring out only a few locals as they have done. The low frequency increases the number of people waiting for the next train in line and this, in turn, means more people in every compartment.

Sumeet Vyas: People have become casual about Covid. What’s the need to party with 150-200 people? The worst is when people have a mild fever and flu-like symptoms and venture out without testing for Covid after popping an antipyretic? How foolish is it! Who gives them the right to endanger other’s lives?