Taking up tasks that show your artistic side, playing online community games, participating in fitness
challenges... people are coming up with innovative 21-day activities to keep themselves engaged during the lockdown
BENGALURU: Antakshari, dumb charades, paintings, etc are some of the games which people used to turn to for indoor games. In a bid to start getting used to the 21-day lockdown to prevent spread of Covid-19, people are playing the same games, but the only difference: it’s now virtual. Many of them are using social media to indulge in various activities online.
Artist Swarnavo Datta panicked when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the 21-day lockdown. To deal with the stress, he found solace in art. Wondering if others like him are going through similar kind of anxiety, he came up with an online painting challenge, which will continue for 21 days. “I planned a theme for the next 21 days. On a particular day, people can draw anything according to that theme. For example, day one’s theme was grass and following the theme, people posted their sketches and some even went an extra mile to do embroidery etc.
In return, I repost it on my social media handle,” says Datta, who kept the theme for Day 3 as a cake, since it was his birthday and had to celebrate it while being in quarantine. The 28-year-old artist says the response to this challenge has been ‘overwhelming’ since he got more than 90 responses on the second day of his challenge. Some of them came for countries like Pakistan and Finland. “It feels great that through art, I can help so many people. I hope this ends soon and thus, I have decided that my theme for the 21st day will be freedom,” says Datta, who has been a professional painter for three years.
While the painting challenge took off well for Datta, photographer Manvi Gandotra has started a photography challenge. It will be a series of seven-day challenges. “ I felt 21 days could be a bit of stretch,” says Gandotra, whose Day 1 challenge was about clicking a photo of an old photo to relive an old memory and spread positivity. She says the idea was to use things that are easily available at home.
People are also taking part in games like Have you Ever by tagging others on social media. The other trending hashtags are #QuarantineandChill, #Kuchnayakaronachallenge, and #MyPandemicSurvivalPlan, which offer funny gags.
On a roll
We [theatre groups] are the people who are most affected in terms of work because a lot of it takes place in our physical presence. So to keep the momentum going, we are experimenting with storytelling and writing sessions online. We are developing online tools which we always wanted to, but did not have any motive so far. So these 21 days are an amazing opportunity for us to take theatre much beyond physical presence itself. This is an opportunity we need to grab. At the end of this period, we hope to have a pattern, which we want to continue later. — Abhishek Iyengar, theatre practitioner
It is important not only to take care of yourself and your co-residents, but to also ensure physical movement is accomplished. I started playing badminton on my terrace last week. I must have last played many years back as a kid, and so it’s great that this lockdown has given me a new hobby. I also started the Covid-19 push-up challenge for 19 days. I am also co-organising a virtual table tennis tournament with fellow members of a social club. — Rahul Tadimalla, investment banker
I have been enjoying the quiet mood. What I just realised is that no matter how much we would’ve tried or no matter how many people would have told us, we would never have taken this break. I’m cleaning house, practising rigorously, and keeping fit by walking inside my house premises and climbing stairs up and down for 50-60 times a day.— Aneesh Vidyashankar, violinist
The two things I have started doing daily is working out and writing in my journal. The dopamine hit after a good workout helps me stay positive, and I have re-discovered the joy of writing with the journal. Writing relaxes me and helps structure the chaotic thoughts running through my mind. And the journal will help document one of the most challenging and volatile period of our lives. Once we return to our fast-paced lives, the journal will help me remember all the small things I treasured and the love and support of family, friends and colleagues that got me through this period.— Urmila Biswas,
communications professional