Manit Joura on recovering from COVID-19: Being in isolation was difficult, but I used the time productively

Fourteen days after he tested positive for COVID-19, Manit Joura, who plays the male lead in Prem Bandhan, resumed the shoot on Saturday. Understandably, the actor was excited to be back to work given that it is what he loves doing most. He says, “I resumed the shoot last weekend, two days before Holi. I shot the entire day in the sun and on the set in the evening.It was difficult, but I could manage it. However, the following day was even more challenging because I shot a heavy-duty action sequence. There was a lot of fighting, screaming, shouting, sweating, slugging it out, gun shots and what not. It was a demanding, intense and crucial scene because it was a major comeback sequence.”
Manit adds, “The production house has been taking extreme care of me since I returned to the sets. I am grateful to them for tending to me and feel fortunate to be working with such a thoughtful team. Nevertheless, you can’t complain about small things when you are at work. As an artiste, I like to be completely involved in every scene or else I won’t be able to pull it off. I tend to get carried away, which can make things difficult for me (laughs!). I was so exhausted by the end of the shoot that day that I sat quietly in my car and didn’t talk to anyone. Fortunately, the next day was Holi. So, I slept till late and rested well.”
The actor is eating healthy to regain his strength. He says, “I don’t like to use a lot of medication to restore my health. Instead, I am having a lot of fruits, vegetable juices, vitamins, multi-vitamins, homemade protein bars, boiled eggs, daal and greens. I will pick up my pace slowly and steadily. I am glad that I showed no severe symptoms and am hoping to recover completely in a week’s time.”
The actor made the most of this unexpected break by pursuing his other passions that remain on the back-burner when he is shooting. He says, “I did permaculture sessions and even laid a permaculture bed. I read voraciously, watched shows and listened to music. Given our erratic schedules, we hardly get time for ourselves. Being isolated was difficult, but I used it productively.”
While the unforeseen break allowed Manit to go back to his other hobbies, he urges everyone to take COVID-19 seriously and not to be lax. He says, “I don’t like to complain about things. If something has happened, it has. You can’t cry over split milk. So, I am going to take it with a pinch of salt. However, I am not undermining the ill-effects of COVID-19. It’s a very serious problem and I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, it’s a cakewalk or another viral jahaan bukhaar aaya aur utar gaya’. It breaks you, both physically and mentally. I remember waking up in the middle of the night on the third or fourth day shivering and burning with fever. I felt weak and dizzy. My doctor told me that I would be fine and that was reassuring. The recovery period was challenging. I had isolated myself in a room and didn’t even see my pets. In fact, I even sealed off the little gap between the door and the floor. I wore a mask when I stepped out on my balcony thinking that I shouldn’t put anyone at risk just in case I sneezed or coughed. I was extremely cautious. Everyone should be.”