Manoj Bajpayee had recently tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently quarantined at home with wife Shabana Raza aka Neha, who has also contracted the virus. But not one to sit twiddling his thumbs, the actor is using the downtime to promote his upcoming film, ‘Silence’ from home. At the same time, he is also eagerly waiting to get his final test done and get a go-ahead to resume shoots. ETimes got in touch with the actor to find out how he was doing and here’s what he had to say…

How are you feeling now?


I am recovering quite well. It has been quite tough for both me and my wife, healthwise. The recovery has been slow but steady, and we are feeling a lot better now. Thank you so much for checking on us. It’s our 12th day of quarantine today, and till I am here, I can’t do much. So, I am just monitoring my health and waiting for the final test to declare me to be negative.

Have you figured how did you contract the virus?

Actors are supposed to shoot without a mask and are hence more prone to infection, especially if someone who is infected is not wearing the mask. That must be how I contracted the virus.

What were the initial symptoms?

By now, all symptoms are gone. When it started, I had a very bad body ache, headache, fever, and all sorts of things. Even now, I am in constant touch with my doctors, and I am taking all the required precautions. Now, I am feeling much better and confident. Covid-19 symptoms can vary from person to person but please don’t take it lightly till it’s really over. It is painful when it happens to you; it’s very unpredictable. It doesn’t do good; a lot of people go through this, and all of them show different symptoms and there are side effects too. Till all of us get vaccinated, I urge everyone to follow all the restrictions and protocols. Let’s not be careless and reckless. We need to be responsible for ourselves and who we are surrounded by.

What is the first thing that you will do once you are out of home quarantine?

I have a lot of work pending to wrap up. I will shoot for an ad, and I have to go for a look test for a film. I will have to go to Uttarakhand to shoot for a film. We were supposed to continue the shoot last year, but then lockdown happened.