From Yoga To Dance Classes: Bollywood Goes Online Amid Corona Crisis

Mumbai: The novel coronavirus outbreak in the country may have brought the ever-bustling film industry to a halt, but it hasn’t stopped Bollywood celebrities from utilising their massive online influence to entertain their followers as well as engage them in fitness, dance and yoga routines.

As government encourages more social distancing, people from the film fraternity are finding ways to connect to people and ensure their self-isolation isn’t wasted.

On Sunday, actor Shilpa Shetty held a special live fitness session across digital platforms for people to follow from home, news agency PTI reported.

“In times like these, it’s important to stay fit, active, and healthy. Join me to show you some beneficial and helpful yoga asanas,” the actress wrote in an Instagram post.

“You can watch, learn, and practice it from the comfort of your homes. Remember, staying indoors shouldn’t be an excuse for deviating from your fitness routine,” she added.

Many other celebrities have also pitched in with online yoga and fitness programs.

On Saturday, actor Tamannah Bhatia went live with Diva Yoga, a studio part of a larger yoga ecosystem called SARVA, where she participated in a one hour virtual yoga class, to encourage people to pursue their fitness goals.

Malaika Arora, co-founder of the yoga studio, said that as the world fights a public health crisis, “we must do our best to stay calm and safe”.

“There is also a need to boost our immunity levels even if it means continuing our workout from home. Our instructors will offer guided lessons every day… for everyone’s benefit. I encourage people to join in and be responsible for your own health. When you are fit and healthy, you can help others in a better manner. It is these small steps that will lead to a better outcome,” Malaika said.

With everything coming to a standstill, choreographer Terence Lewis has also figured out an alternate avenue to reach out to those willing to learn dancing through online classes.

“In a few days, we will be starting online dance tutorials for people who have no access and means to be a part of our institute directly. Since, we do not have any branches, neither do I believe in having one, we directly teach from our original space in Andheri,” Lewis said.

As shootings of movies, TV shows and web series stand suspended till March 31, casting director and actor Abhishek Banerjee is encouraging artistes to send self-tapes from their homes.

“We are encouraging that to minimise human to human contact and audition spaces. Some actors are known to us, some unknown. It’s very difficult to track anybody’s health if you don’t know the person. So it’s easier to see self-tapes and keep shortlisting them and maybe we will call them again for a proper audition when everything is alright,” he said.