Opening Doorz
“Celebrating Life”
Having her family back in the United Kingdom, and being a constant visitor to India for work, her family wanted her to fly back. However, being a responsible adult, Anisa Butt decided otherwise and is staying put in Mumbai.
By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | March 27, 2020
Anisa Butt, came to India on February 12, as she had to meet up with production houses for work which she was short-listed for. “There were some wonderful projects for which we had initial productive meetings and I was looking forward to these,” says Anisa. However, like all of us, she is now ‘house bound’. Having her family back in the United Kingdom, and being a constant visitor to India for work, her family wanted her to fly back. However, being a responsible adult, Anisa decided otherwise and is staying put in Mumbai. She knows that prayer moves things!
Says Anisa, “We all need to be responsible citizens at this time wherever we are. It’s not simply about contracting the illness but also about avoiding being a carrier to more susceptible individuals. I hope more than anything, people are able to use this time to stay connected to what matters the most. For me, strengthening my relationship with my faith on a daily basis and prayer has just been so crucial at this time. What I do know is we may not be able to move, but prayer moves things, and I’m using the time to spread as much hope as I can as well in small ways.”
Two weeks prior to coming I was receiving a lot of calls for work. Hence, I felt it was the perfect timing to come back. And I did have a couple of productive weeks with meetings for some wonderful projects, and unfortunately, then corona hit.
Not having a maid is actually probably the least of my worries. Being from the UK, things like cooking and cleaning is the norm to manage. However, when staying with family, a lot of that burden is taken care of, which we do take for granted sometimes. This has definitely been a period of getting more hands-on with domestic work. My grandma and my mum are great cooks, so I figured this is the best time to make some effort in the kitchen; it’s not something I particularly enjoy, but I’m taking advantage of the time to experiment and learn a new skill!
My podcast @unplugwithani is keeping me busy regardless, as right now this is a one-woman show. From arranging interviews to the graphics and content, I handle it all. I also stay connected with family and friends on video calls which is lovely. Reading and movie watching forms part of my leisure time. Fitness has always been a huge part of my life. I definitely miss the gym, but I make sure to do my home workouts, daily.
They have been very concerned about me. Their immediate desire was for me to fly back, but considering the situation and prioritizing safety now is important. As it stands now on the lockdown, flights have anyways been suspended. I do miss them and wish we were together. And yes, we all need to be responsible to fight this pandemic together!
Also Read: YouWeCan, Hope B Lit, ‘Unplug with Ani’!
