<p>The central theme of Amazon Prime's original film 'Unpaused' is the pandemic. The anthology has five different stories with the lockdown as its common thread and yet each film tries to look for the silver lining amid uncertainty and gloom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Borrowing some significant incidents from the lockdown that India witnessed earlier this year- six directors weave stories of friendship, of hope and of love that makes for an engaging watch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Tanishtha Chatterjee's 'Rat-A-Tat' a 60 plus woman is unhappy with the cacophony that has come with the lockdown. A noisy neighbour keeps banging plates and she wants the police to intervene. The police, of course, doesn't turn up but she soon finds herself reluctantly helping out a young girl who lives above. The two have contrasting personalities and are stuck together due to circumstances.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="n" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1025ded2-a4a8-4dd2-95d8-6e96627a283b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2883%29_3.jpg" /></p>

<p>In Nikhil Advani's 'The Apartment', the utensil banging and 'Go, Corona go!' chant is there in the backdrop. Amid all the noise, a lonesome, dejected woman contemplates suicide due to her soured relationship with her husband. While she thinks she is ready to give up, an over-friendly neighbour keeps popping up at her doorstep to complain about leaking plants.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Then there is Raj and DK's 'Glitch' which is the only futuristic tale in the anthology where a hypochondriac is forced to move out of his cocoon for the love of a girl. Things are mostly virtual with the man ever so often hyperventilating about contracting the virus while the girl rolls her eyes in frustration.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Glitch" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0d92f0dc-fcd5-45ba-9f09-f24c4caa19bc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2881%29_1.jpg" /></p>

<p>The two most compelling and the best stories of the lot are by directors Avinash Arun and Nitya Mehra. Arun's film 'Vishaanu' has a migrant couple stuck in a dead township amid lockdown with limited resources. As they figure out ways to go back to their native village, they find solace in each other's company, their temporary shelter and TikTok videos.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mehra's 'Chand Mubarak' talks of two uncanny people forming a rare bond amid despair and gloom. She is an educated senior citizen who enjoys living a life of solitude and he is an auto driver, helping her run errands and earning quick bucks- yearning to be with his wife and children back in the village for Eid. It's a story that not just addresses the religious prejudices but promises of a better tomorrow.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kXGfGV2v6GE" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Each story is about half an hour-long, but with deft writing and execution, so much is told in limited time. Each short film has its moment. 'Glitch' is the funniest with Gulshan Devaiah owning his character as a manic who is over-cautious. 'Rat-A-Tat' celebrates sisterhood in the most unusual way with credible performances by Lilette Dubey and Rinku Rajguru. They are chalk and cheese and yet make for a beautiful pair together. Richa Chadha, Sumeet Vyas and Ishwak Singh's 'The Apartment' highlights the importance of mental health in the middle of pandemic and emphasises on the importance of moving on at the right time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>'Unpaused' gives us the most heartwarming performances by Abhishek Banerjee and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in 'Vishaanu'. The two talented actors transform themselves to play a couple who are stuck in limbo. And despite the overall sense of uncertainty and despair, the two find happiness in being together. The characters are not easy to play for the actors, but they deliver a compelling performance. I would've loved to watch a full-fledged feature based on these two characters.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="unpaused" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="81bca9f3-7a3a-4030-b9fc-2999098a21a2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2882%29_2.jpg" /></p>

<p>Ratna Pathak Shah's and Shardul Bhardwaj's story too puts a smile on one's face. As a weary spinster who likes living a life of solitude, Shah's character eventually warms up to the friendly, kind Muslim auto driver and the two become friends while running errands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The year 2020 will always be remembered for its collective gloom and uncertainty that gripped the world. 'Unpaused' tries to point at the human goodness, the resilience of every individual in such an unprecedented time. As we all rush to bid 2020 goodbye- and for all good reasons- 'Unpaused' makes us pause for a moment and look back at the brighter things that the year gave us.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-geetika-vidya-ohlyan-we-understood-that-money-wont-be-delivered-to-us-during-pandemic-so-decided-to-step-out-350199">Also read: Lilette Dubey and Geetika Ohlyan speak to WION about their film 'Unpaused'</a></p>


The central theme of Amazon Prime's original film 'Unpaused' is the pandemic. The anthology has five different stories with the lockdown as its common thread and yet each film tries to look for the silver lining amid uncertainty and gloom.

The central theme of Amazon Prime's original film 'Unpaused' is the pandemic. The anthology has five different stories with the lockdown as its common thread and yet each film tries to look for the silver lining amid uncertainty and gloom. Borrowing some significant incidents from the lockdown that India witnessed earlier this year- six directors weave stories of friendship, of hope and of love that makes for an engaging watch. In Tanishtha Chatterjee's 'Rat-A-Tat' a 60 plus woman is unhappy with the cacophony that has come with the lockdown. A noisy neighbour keeps banging plates and she wants the police to intervene. The police, of course, doesn't turn up but she soon finds herself reluctantly helping out a young girl who lives above. The two have contrasting personalities and are stuck together due to circumstances. In Nikhil Advani's 'The Apartment', the utensil banging and 'Go, Corona go!' chant is there in the backdrop. Amid all the noise, a lonesome, dejected woman contemplates suicide due to her soured relationship with her husband. While she thinks she is ready to give up, an over-friendly neighbour keeps popping up at her doorstep to complain about leaking plants. Then there is Raj and DK's 'Glitch' which is the only futuristic tale in the anthology where a hypochondriac is forced to move out of his cocoon for the love of a girl. Things are mostly virtual with the man ever so often hyperventilating about contracting the virus while the girl rolls her eyes in frustration. The two most compelling and the best stories of the lot are by directors Avinash Arun and Nitya Mehra. Arun's film 'Vishaanu' has a migrant couple stuck in a dead township amid lockdown with limited resources. As they figure out ways to go back to their native village, they find solace in each other's company, their temporary shelter and TikTok videos. Mehra's 'Chand Mubarak' talks of two uncanny people forming a rare bond amid despair and gloom. She is an educated senior citizen who enjoys living a life of solitude and he is an auto driver, helping her run errands and earning quick bucks- yearning to be with his wife and children back in the village for Eid. It's a story that not just addresses the religious prejudices but promises of a better tomorrow. Each story is about half an hour-long, but with deft writing and execution, so much is told in limited time. Each short film has its moment. 'Glitch' is the funniest with Gulshan Devaiah owning his character as a manic who is over-cautious. 'Rat-A-Tat' celebrates sisterhood in the most unusual way with credible performances by Lilette Dubey and Rinku Rajguru. They are chalk and cheese and yet make for a beautiful pair together. Richa Chadha, Sumeet Vyas and Ishwak Singh's 'The Apartment' highlights the importance of mental health in the middle of pandemic and emphasises on the importance of moving on at the right time. 'Unpaused' gives us the most heartwarming performances by Abhishek Banerjee and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in 'Vishaanu'. The two talented actors transform themselves to play a couple who are stuck in limbo. And despite the overall sense of uncertainty and despair, the two find happiness in being together. The characters are not easy to play for the actors, but they deliver a compelling performance. I would've loved to watch a full-fledged feature based on these two characters. Ratna Pathak Shah's and Shardul Bhardwaj's story too puts a smile on one's face. As a weary spinster who likes living a life of solitude, Shah's character eventually warms up to the friendly, kind Muslim auto driver and the two become friends while running errands. The year 2020 will always be remembered for its collective gloom and uncertainty that gripped the world. 'Unpaused' tries to point at the human goodness, the resilience of every individual in such an unprecedented time. As we all rush to bid 2020 goodbye- and for all good reasons- 'Unpaused' makes us pause for a moment and look back at the brighter things that the year gave us. Also read: Lilette Dubey and Geetika Ohlyan speak to WION about their film 'Unpaused'

'Unpaused' review: Finding hope, friendship and happiness in the middle of a pandemic

<p>With lockdown being one of the most discussed topics of the year, it's not surprising to see many upcoming content being centered around it. The latest addition being Amazon Prime Video's 'Unpaused', an anthology of 5 short films showing various experiences people had during these unusual times. These films have been directed by filmmakers Raj &amp; DK, Nikkhil Advani, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Avinash Arun and Nitya Mehra.</p>

<p>In a candid conversation with WION&nbsp;Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Lillete Dubey, who star in two of the short films in 'Unpaused' speak about their experience of shooting during the pandemic, online promotions, and much more.</p>

<p><em>How has it been adjusting to the new normal, with promotions for your film being held online?</em></p>

<p>Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: I am not a native of any of the metropolitans, I have been born and brought up in Haryana and it irked me always that for every little thing, any non-metropolitan person is expected to leave the culture, the family and everything behind and be there. So, it becomes a very huge choice. You either choose this world or that world.</p>

<p>I feel one of the blessings that has come in the form of an alternative because of COVID is that people are getting to be efficient with their energy, with their presence and with their time. I have always seen the promotions of any sort of project on screen, however, to make that possible, people would really dress up, travel and be at a particular place. So, they would invest a disproportionate amount of time and efforts would go into something which is promotions. Today I feel content that I am home, I choose some time and invest my energy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We can choose what is human contact important for. So, for something like a promotional event I can not imagine how people would move from one studio to another or how they would go from one place to another, to be doing what I am doing sitting home.</p>

<p>Lillete Dubey: For the past 9 months, we have been doing so much stuff online that it is not so strange anymore. If this had happened last year, we would have found it very odd. But one has been doing talks, one has been doing interviews, one has been listening to so much stuff online. So, I think if a technically challenged dinosaur like me has been able to do some of that, I think we have all acclimatized to a new way of communication.</p>

<p><i>Tell us about more your respective short films and the characters you played?</i></p>

<p>Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: 'Vishaanu' is a peep into the hearts of individuals who to me are almost de-humanized, the migrant laborers. We as artists have enough resources to pamper and take care our own selves but there is a large section that is so deprived of basic necessities that I feel they are robbed of their humanity. This story looks into the human aspect of that huge mass that we saw suffering.</p>

<p>When I played Seema, there was so much that went inside me, which I tried to convey through my eyes. I am really looking forward to the audience watching this.</p>

<p>Lillete Dubey: My character in the film 'Rat-A-Tat' is someone who is very close to my age. She is very cut off from the world, has no time for anything except her own life. Someone with her own system and way of living, which gets even more exaggerated obviously during the lockdown. Then a small incident with a neighbor, a girl who has come from a very small town of Maharastra has a great significance for this character and how she changes during the film.</p>

<p>It’s just a 20-22 minutes film, but the character's journey was lovely for me. From where she started to where she ultimately reached through this little relationship.</p>

<p><i>How was the shooting experience in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic?</i></p>

<p>Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: There was a point in which we understood, that the state in which our nation is in and the place where our country stands as compared to other nations, our number will come very late to get a medicine. And till then we will not be getting money delivered to our homes. So, we will have to step out.</p>

<p>We can not afford to get paranoid. But we also couldn't think that nothing is happening. Yes, something is happening. We had to understand it and then handle the situation. We had to take care of each other and step out.</p>

<p>Lillete Dubey: Though I am in that bracket where everyone was telling me that 'senior citizens' should not go outside and my family and friends were all freaking out. I said look, I can not live in a bubble for the rest of my life. I will be cautious, I will be safe, I will wear the mask. I feel like in this whole thing, we have to be very careful, be cautious but we can not stop living. We simply can’t do that. In fact, I think I was in great spirits and so happy to hit a set, start shooting and performing and being a part of something creative and fulfilling again.</p>

<p>I haven’t been apprehensive after that, I have done recordings, I have shot more and I really haven’t been scared at all. I think you just have to mentally be careful and that’s all.</p>

<p><i>What is your next venture?</i></p>

<p>Lillete Dubey: I am going to be doing a play, Shobha De has written a book called 'Lockdown Liaisons', which are 24 shorts stories on the lockdown, including a migrant story. I am choosing 5 out of those and doing them as monologues.</p>

<p><i>What makes 'Unpaused' unique?</i></p>

<p>Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: 'Unpaused' is for people to see different experiences that people had, different states of different individuals of different strata. So it will be reassuring, they will find identifiable moments.</p>

<p>Lillete Dubey: I think for me doing the film was very important because it is about a period in our collective human history that will be recorded. People are going to relate to it enormously because every one of us, all around the world will relate to some aspect of it, whether romance went out of their lives, whether they found a new friendship, whether the strangest relationship developed, whatever it may be. But it will touch somewhere.</p>

<p>What is art finally, it is the shared human experience, so that is what the film is about, our shared experience of the lockdown?</p>

<p>'Unpaused' will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video from December 18.&nbsp;</p>


With lockdown being one of the most discussed topics of the year, it's not surprising to see many upcoming content being centered around it. The latest addition being Amazon Prime Video's 'Unpaused', an anthology of 5 short films showing various experiences people had during these unusual times.

With lockdown being one of the most discussed topics of the year, it's not surprising to see many upcoming content being centered around it. The latest addition being Amazon Prime Video's 'Unpaused', an anthology of 5 short films showing various experiences people had during these unusual times. These films have been directed by filmmakers Raj & DK, Nikkhil Advani, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Avinash Arun and Nitya Mehra. In a candid conversation with WION Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Lillete Dubey, who star in two of the short films in 'Unpaused' speak about their experience of shooting during the pandemic, online promotions, and much more. How has it been adjusting to the new normal, with promotions for your film being held online? Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: I am not a native of any of the metropolitans, I have been born and brought up in Haryana and it irked me always that for every little thing, any non-metropolitan person is expected to leave the culture, the family and everything behind and be there. So, it becomes a very huge choice. You either choose this world or that world. I feel one of the blessings that has come in the form of an alternative because of COVID is that people are getting to be efficient with their energy, with their presence and with their time. I have always seen the promotions of any sort of project on screen, however, to make that possible, people would really dress up, travel and be at a particular place. So, they would invest a disproportionate amount of time and efforts would go into something which is promotions. Today I feel content that I am home, I choose some time and invest my energy. We can choose what is human contact important for. So, for something like a promotional event I can not imagine how people would move from one studio to another or how they would go from one place to another, to be doing what I am doing sitting home. Lillete Dubey: For the past 9 months, we have been doing so much stuff online that it is not so strange anymore. If this had happened last year, we would have found it very odd. But one has been doing talks, one has been doing interviews, one has been listening to so much stuff online. So, I think if a technically challenged dinosaur like me has been able to do some of that, I think we have all acclimatized to a new way of communication. Tell us about more your respective short films and the characters you played? Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: 'Vishaanu' is a peep into the hearts of individuals who to me are almost de-humanized, the migrant laborers. We as artists have enough resources to pamper and take care our own selves but there is a large section that is so deprived of basic necessities that I feel they are robbed of their humanity. This story looks into the human aspect of that huge mass that we saw suffering. When I played Seema, there was so much that went inside me, which I tried to convey through my eyes. I am really looking forward to the audience watching this. Lillete Dubey: My character in the film 'Rat-A-Tat' is someone who is very close to my age. She is very cut off from the world, has no time for anything except her own life. Someone with her own system and way of living, which gets even more exaggerated obviously during the lockdown. Then a small incident with a neighbor, a girl who has come from a very small town of Maharastra has a great significance for this character and how she changes during the film. It’s just a 20-22 minutes film, but the character's journey was lovely for me. From where she started to where she ultimately reached through this little relationship. How was the shooting experience in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic? Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: There was a point in which we understood, that the state in which our nation is in and the place where our country stands as compared to other nations, our number will come very late to get a medicine. And till then we will not be getting money delivered to our homes. So, we will have to step out. We can not afford to get paranoid. But we also couldn't think that nothing is happening. Yes, something is happening. We had to understand it and then handle the situation. We had to take care of each other and step out. Lillete Dubey: Though I am in that bracket where everyone was telling me that 'senior citizens' should not go outside and my family and friends were all freaking out. I said look, I can not live in a bubble for the rest of my life. I will be cautious, I will be safe, I will wear the mask. I feel like in this whole thing, we have to be very careful, be cautious but we can not stop living. We simply can’t do that. In fact, I think I was in great spirits and so happy to hit a set, start shooting and performing and being a part of something creative and fulfilling again. I haven’t been apprehensive after that, I have done recordings, I have shot more and I really haven’t been scared at all. I think you just have to mentally be careful and that’s all. What is your next venture? Lillete Dubey: I am going to be doing a play, Shobha De has written a book called 'Lockdown Liaisons', which are 24 shorts stories on the lockdown, including a migrant story. I am choosing 5 out of those and doing them as monologues. What makes 'Unpaused' unique? Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: 'Unpaused' is for people to see different experiences that people had, different states of different individuals of different strata. So it will be reassuring, they will find identifiable moments. Lillete Dubey: I think for me doing the film was very important because it is about a period in our collective human history that will be recorded. People are going to relate to it enormously because every one of us, all around the world will relate to some aspect of it, whether romance went out of their lives, whether they found a new friendship, whether the strangest relationship developed, whatever it may be. But it will touch somewhere. What is art finally, it is the shared human experience, so that is what the film is about, our shared experience of the lockdown? 'Unpaused' will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video from December 18.

Geetika Vidya Ohlyan: We understood that money won't be delivered to us during pandemic, so decided to step out

<p>Anyone who binge-watches Netflix in India and scouts for original Indian content would know about ‘Soni’, a darling of film festivals that has only good things said about it from critics all over the world. The leading lady in the film, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan not only helped bring the ‘other’ side of a policewoman to light but also made a lasting impact in the minds of the audience with that subtle yet powerful character portrayal.</p>

<p>Picking her Critics Choice Film Awards in the category of Best Actress (Hindi) recently for ‘Soni’, Geetika opened up to WION about how she is keeping herself busy during the lockdown and why she can’t ever be apolitical.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-gmMCAJIZH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Soni gets 5 stars!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ सोनी के कन्धों पे तो दो-दो सितारे थे ही, एक सितारा @filmcriticsguild ने मुझे दे दिया, तो गीतिका और सोनी के पास मिलके हुए 5 stars.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Thank you for making my #Soni experience even more beautiful and memorable, @criticschoicefilmawards.🌟⁣ ⁣#GeetikaVidya #BestActress #CriticsChoiceFilmAwards #CriticsChoiceFilmAwards2020</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/geetikavidya/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Geetika Vidya</a> (@geetikavidya) on <time datetime="2020-04-03T06:52:04+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Apr 2, 2020 at 11:52pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>“This halt was much called for.&nbsp;Not only me but hopefully the human race is taking its time to introspect and take a look at what direction we are heading towards,” said Geetika reflecting on coronavirus pandemic that has brought our lives to a standstill as countries all over the world practice quarantine, isolation and lockdowns. &nbsp;</p>

<p>As for what keeps the actress busy, Geetika said, “Whenever an actor is not shooting or rehearsing for stage perfromance, we tend to not need to know what day or time it is. This is no 9 to 5, Monday to Friday kind of a job. Apart from the realisation that the entire globe is running at a slow pace, it’s becoming clearer to me as for which part of the society that we need to take care for. I am reading news now more than ever before. Rght now news is helping us look at all the problematic areas -- failures of our system, the most vulnerable parts of the world.”</p>

<p>Apart from reading and learning of current affairs, Geetika has also absolved herself into practicing yoga. “I want to gift myself something that would help me stay balanced and focused no matter what resources I have access to. In a way I am benefitting from this lockdown as I am getting more time to practice. I have come home to my grandparents, they are above 80 years of age. This (yoga) makes me self reliant. I do not need any equipment,” explained Geetika. &nbsp;</p>

<p>She is also excessively reading the book ‘Yoga Hygiene’, something she wants everyone to get their hands on and try.</p>

<p>Like many of her colleagues from the film industry, Geetika has also taken well to household chores amid lockdown. As her family has divided work between available hands, Geetika is solely responsible for mopping the house. “I am finding solace in mopping my house. I decided that we have to have the woman who comes to clean to stay at her home. We need to ensure her safety, our safety and that we need to pay her. As we let her go, I decided with my physical fitness that I will take the responsibility of mopping the floor,” she added.</p>

<p>Geetika hails from Haryana and is only a couple of films old. If you see her filmography so far, two of her most important works out of three has her portray a woman from the state of Haryana. While her character’s grasp of the language can be attributed to familiarity, Geetika wants to break preconceived notions of how girls are raised in conservative Haryanvi homes. She also threw light on how she approaches her characters on the screen. “Soni and Sunita, both the women have lived a life that has been lived by women who were around me. I have not had a great degree of visual exposure in my life in terms of cinema, but I grew up reading, listening, singing. I think the ability to grasp a lot from my surrounding is somehing that came by default. My grandfather called the TV the idiot box. At an age when people are absorbing things seen in cinema, I was absorbing things around me,” said Geetika.</p>

<p>“I could play those characters because of the women I have seen -- with multiple dilemmas, catcalls,and other things. The character of Sunita comes from the maids I have had. My maid’s name in Bombay is Sunita. I promised her when ‘Thappad’ releases, both of us will go watch the film together because I feel she’s never been to a multiplex cinema. In fact I told her that I have kept the name of my character after her, not that it was my choice but those are just little joys of life,” she added. &nbsp;</p>

<p>A young talent in the industry, Geetika is nonchalant about her opinions. Not mincing words on current affairs and the political climate of the country, she said, “I base my decisions on hope and optimism rather than on fear. I have faith in my abilities, in my multi lingual skill, and my ability to portray multiple characters. Thats why I chose to do a character that sounds like the other however, they were so different from each other. Soni was intrinsically a person who was trapped inside of herself, her soul was entrapped; Sunita was really happy as a person. In a nuanced way, those were different for me.”</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/thappad-actress-geetika-vidya-i-am-glad-to-have-the-wisdom-to-be-content-in-my-thought-290331">'Thappad' actress Geetika Vidya: I am glad to have the wisdom to be content in my thought</a></p>

<p>“We are living in times when its easier to find the enemy outside so that we can stop paying attention to inner conflicts. It’s easy to find people who dislike anyone who diasgeress with them. The sad part is that a lot of our living is polarised. Its either this extreme or that extreme. Whatever you say is anti-this or anti-that. Can we discuss rather than jumping to conclusions? If there is a policy that’s good for my nation, I will be like ‘Hey this policy is nice’. But being appreciative of that policy does not make me a torch bearer or representative of the person who applies that policy. I’m just an artist who wants more and more peace in my country. I’m learning how to deal with all this, bring in inner calm and justice,” opined Geetika on being vocal about her political stand in public.</p>

<p>As for her future projects, Geetika Vidya is in the midst of shooting a feature film which will be continued after the pandemic. She has wrapped up her shoot for the anthology of three stories that will be made into a film. She also has ‘Barah By Barah’ by Gaurav Madaan that will be in festivals’ circuit this year.</p>


Anyone who binge-watches Netflix in India and scouts for original Indian content would know about ‘Soni’, a darling of film festivals that has only good things said about it from critics all over the world.

Anyone who binge-watches Netflix in India and scouts for original Indian content would know about ‘Soni’, a darling of film festivals that has only good things said about it from critics all over the world. The leading lady in the film, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan not only helped bring the ‘other’ side of a policewoman to light but also made a lasting impact in the minds of the audience with that subtle yet powerful character portrayal. Picking her Critics Choice Film Awards in the category of Best Actress (Hindi) recently for ‘Soni’, Geetika opened up to WION about how she is keeping herself busy during the lockdown and why she can’t ever be apolitical. View this post on Instagram Soni gets 5 stars!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ सोनी के कन्धों पे तो दो-दो सितारे थे ही, एक सितारा @filmcriticsguild ने मुझे दे दिया, तो गीतिका और सोनी के पास मिलके हुए 5 stars.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Thank you for making my #Soni experience even more beautiful and memorable, @criticschoicefilmawards.🌟⁣ ⁣#GeetikaVidya #BestActress #CriticsChoiceFilmAwards #CriticsChoiceFilmAwards2020 A post shared by Geetika Vidya (@geetikavidya) on Apr 2, 2020 at 11:52pm PDT × “This halt was much called for. Not only me but hopefully the human race is taking its time to introspect and take a look at what direction we are heading towards,” said Geetika reflecting on coronavirus pandemic that has brought our lives to a standstill as countries all over the world practice quarantine, isolation and lockdowns. As for what keeps the actress busy, Geetika said, “Whenever an actor is not shooting or rehearsing for stage perfromance, we tend to not need to know what day or time it is. This is no 9 to 5, Monday to Friday kind of a job. Apart from the realisation that the entire globe is running at a slow pace, it’s becoming clearer to me as for which part of the society that we need to take care for. I am reading news now more than ever before. Rght now news is helping us look at all the problematic areas -- failures of our system, the most vulnerable parts of the world.” Apart from reading and learning of current affairs, Geetika has also absolved herself into practicing yoga. “I want to gift myself something that would help me stay balanced and focused no matter what resources I have access to. In a way I am benefitting from this lockdown as I am getting more time to practice. I have come home to my grandparents, they are above 80 years of age. This (yoga) makes me self reliant. I do not need any equipment,” explained Geetika. She is also excessively reading the book ‘Yoga Hygiene’, something she wants everyone to get their hands on and try. Like many of her colleagues from the film industry, Geetika has also taken well to household chores amid lockdown. As her family has divided work between available hands, Geetika is solely responsible for mopping the house. “I am finding solace in mopping my house. I decided that we have to have the woman who comes to clean to stay at her home. We need to ensure her safety, our safety and that we need to pay her. As we let her go, I decided with my physical fitness that I will take the responsibility of mopping the floor,” she added. Geetika hails from Haryana and is only a couple of films old. If you see her filmography so far, two of her most important works out of three has her portray a woman from the state of Haryana. While her character’s grasp of the language can be attributed to familiarity, Geetika wants to break preconceived notions of how girls are raised in conservative Haryanvi homes. She also threw light on how she approaches her characters on the screen. “Soni and Sunita, both the women have lived a life that has been lived by women who were around me. I have not had a great degree of visual exposure in my life in terms of cinema, but I grew up reading, listening, singing. I think the ability to grasp a lot from my surrounding is somehing that came by default. My grandfather called the TV the idiot box. At an age when people are absorbing things seen in cinema, I was absorbing things around me,” said Geetika. “I could play those characters because of the women I have seen -- with multiple dilemmas, catcalls,and other things. The character of Sunita comes from the maids I have had. My maid’s name in Bombay is Sunita. I promised her when ‘Thappad’ releases, both of us will go watch the film together because I feel she’s never been to a multiplex cinema. In fact I told her that I have kept the name of my character after her, not that it was my choice but those are just little joys of life,” she added. A young talent in the industry, Geetika is nonchalant about her opinions. Not mincing words on current affairs and the political climate of the country, she said, “I base my decisions on hope and optimism rather than on fear. I have faith in my abilities, in my multi lingual skill, and my ability to portray multiple characters. Thats why I chose to do a character that sounds like the other however, they were so different from each other. Soni was intrinsically a person who was trapped inside of herself, her soul was entrapped; Sunita was really happy as a person. In a nuanced way, those were different for me.” 'Thappad' actress Geetika Vidya: I am glad to have the wisdom to be content in my thought “We are living in times when its easier to find the enemy outside so that we can stop paying attention to inner conflicts. It’s easy to find people who dislike anyone who diasgeress with them. The sad part is that a lot of our living is polarised. Its either this extreme or that extreme. Whatever you say is anti-this or anti-that. Can we discuss rather than jumping to conclusions? If there is a policy that’s good for my nation, I will be like ‘Hey this policy is nice’. But being appreciative of that policy does not make me a torch bearer or representative of the person who applies that policy. I’m just an artist who wants more and more peace in my country. I’m learning how to deal with all this, bring in inner calm and justice,” opined Geetika on being vocal about her political stand in public. As for her future projects, Geetika Vidya is in the midst of shooting a feature film which will be continued after the pandemic. She has wrapped up her shoot for the anthology of three stories that will be made into a film. She also has ‘Barah By Barah’ by Gaurav Madaan that will be in festivals’ circuit this year.

'Soni' actress Geetika to WION on what's keeping her busy during lockdown

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'Soni' actress Geetika to WION on what's keeping her busy during lockdown