For Esha Gupta, the second Covid wave has been a difficult phase. The actor is stuck in Spain for almost two months now and has lost a few near ones to the deadly virus. But, the actor is not letting these trying times get to her. Instead, she managed to finish dubbing for an untitled project from Spain. In a brief chat, Esha opens up about being away from family, and working amid the pandemic. Excerpts:
You are stuck in Spain due to Covid restrictions. How are you holding up in these difficult times?
I was in Dubai for a shoot, and the news of the lockdown was doing rounds, but we weren’t sure about it. I had a photoshoot in Marbella, Madrid, so I came here. Then, within a couple of days, the lockdown was announced. My family thought it would be better if I stayed in Madrid. The second wave has been pretty bad. I lost a lot of my relatives. It has been a tough time.
The five-day shoot turned into a two-month holiday! I miss working and really want to be back on the sets. Imposed holiday isn’t the same as a deserved break.
How are things in Spain compared to India?
They managed it well. Rules are followed here to the T. We are allowed to go to open spaces without masks. But I am being careful as I haven’t taken the vaccine yet, and I want to be back in India soon.
You dubbed for your new project from Spain, how did you manage that?
We did it online. Thanks to technology, all I needed was laptop, phone, and a quiet room. But dubbing online is not easy... I miss studios as they are soundproof. But we’ve given in our everything, for hours every day, hoping it would be ready soon for the release.
What is this project you dubbed for? Is it Rejctx season three?
I wish it was. But, we can’t start shooting for the series till we are allowed to film overseas. We need to shoot it in the same place —Thailand. As for the new project, let’s wait for the production team to make an official announcement. I can’t say much about it, except that this has been by far one of the most different characters I have played. I got a chance to work with a talented cast, an understanding director and one of the most renowned cinematographers.
What more are you working on?
I just finished one series, which will release once the post-production is done. I have two more series and I start shooting in September for one of them. I am doing some good projects. Thanks to the OTT, there are different kinds of content to explore.
You are a fitness enthusiast. Were you always inclined towards it or was your profession the driving force?
I have always been a fitness enthusiast. It’s nothing to do with the profession I am in. A healthy body makes you more confident. It is not about having abs, but being able to work through any unseen injury and being able to live life with good health.
