2020 spelled an end to a lot of things across lives, lifestyles and livelihoods. Yet humans adapt and thrive. So join us in celebrating individuals who brightened their own existence and of those around them with the lessons they learned in the pandemic, and what they will take forward to 2021
Shillpi A Singh, 42, Independent writer, Dwarka
I lost my job in the lockdown, so I had all the time in the world to do things that I had wanted to do. I came across author and film critic Jai Arjun Singh’s film appreciation courses and discussions. The first module, 'Celebrating the song sequence and its place in the Hindi-film narrative', spread over four Sundays in July-August was an enriching and engaging. Since then, on the weekends he organises interesting discussions on world cinema. I got to learn about the intricacies, and history of Indian cinema and Hollywood.
Sonali Kumar, 40, Teacher, Dwarka
I spent the first few months of the lockdown in overcoming the teething troubles of staying indoors. By May, I knew that the unusual was the new normal. So, I enrolled myself in six new technology-related skills related to online learning and teaching.
I also have a penchant for drawing and painting, and took up a couple of hobby courses to hone my skills in Madhubani painting and Mandala art. The strokes and hues added a dash of colour to my monotonous life. I even gifted my painting of goddess Durga in Madhubani to my parents.
Manvika Sagar, 23
I started cooking in lockdown, since all the food giants and restaurants were closed. Being a foodie, I utilised the YouTube platform to learn cooking and managed to cook Italian, Chinese and north Indian cuisines. Also, I learnt and baked cakes for family birthdays, and am planning to continue cooking in 2021 as well.
Soleha Shaikh, 25, Nutritionist and Diabetes Educator, Dwarka
I always wanted to learn calligraphy. So, when the pandemic happened and I got stuck in Delhi, I started learning it from The Happy Ever After. Soon, I was doing live calligraphy sessions on my Instagram account and posting my art. I now teach calligraphy, drawing, and mandalas every Sunday, and even got an offer to write handwritten letters for the Bengaluru-based The Indian Handwritten Letter Co.
Shirin Jain, 60, businesswoman, Mehrauli
I’ve always been fond of cooking, but this lockdown time really helped in channeling my true passion and potential in cooking skills! I have ended up with an album’s worth of 150 dishes, and have actually impressed my family and friends...On the quiet, I am impressed with myself as well. Didn’t know I had it in me.
Aaron Salaria, 14, Class XII student, Faridabad
Iused to be very lean and thin. But the pandemic gave me an ample of time to think about myself and start working on my fitness. Via Google and YouTube, I searched and gained proper information about the best exercises according to my age, and now I have a fitter body that it gives me a lot of confidence.
VVIhan Gulati, 29, Director, MEDIAGRAPHIXPR, Vasant Kunj
During the Lockdown, I focused on self-awareness, self-development and self-care, and deejaying. Learning new music software and reading books helped a lot in finding myself. I also learnt horse riding, and realisation dawned that just as the horse runs, I can run my business in a similar way.
Naina Aggarwal, 38, Zumba Instructor, Janakpuri
I always wanted to do a nutritionist course, as many of my Zumba clients would ask me to suggest a daily diet plan. But I didn’t have the time to do it with my classes and household chores. This pandemic gave me an opportunity when all my classes came to a halt. I finally joined a Certified Nutritionist Course from NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) online. I have completed 50 per cent of the course, and hopefully will be able to finish soon and achieve my goal.
Divya Agarwal, 36, Founder, D’Desire, Greater Noida
I enhanced my skills and got trained formally along with experiencing the power of social media visibility for professional growth. I now don some new hats including that of a trained coach, motivational speaker and an interview host. As a networker, exhibitor and consultant, I guided a multitude of women to establish their own ‘work from home’ set up based on their own talents and interests.
Aanan Khurma, 33, Founder, wellversed.in, Gurugram
I belong to the Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music and was trained in classical singing from Pandit Yashpaul. I also got tutelage from Ustad Sabri Khan of the Moradabad Sainia gharana. I wanted to enrol in a Western classical music course for years, but the pressure of running a nutrition company was in the way. In the lockdown, I could take four courses at Yale University on different aspects of Western classical music. I am thankful to be born in an era where we can learn the arts of different cultures from the comforts of our home.
Upasana Puri, 33, Noida
I began baking! As someone who used to avoid the kitchen earlier (my husband is a chef, so it works out), I began looking up recipes and it turned out I’m fairly decent at baking. I have since bought an oven and it is going to see a lot of work in the coming year(s).
Puneet Kalra, 30, Musician, Noida
Lockdown has given each one of us enough stress and anxiety, and so I wanted to do something to spread calm to as many as I could. That’s how Namah Shivaye came into being. The music and lyrics creates a very strong and peaceful vibe. Since the lockdown gave us time to pursue our hobbies, I chose to spread happiness through my music. I had done a course in music production from Productionmusiclive.com long back but because of my job as a full-time engineer, I never had enough time to work on my music.
Tanuja Gomes, 45, co-founder and co-CEO, Furtados School of Music, Lajpat Nagar
In ‘house-arrest’ during the pandemic, I learnt to paint. Painting was always my hobby, but I took it up seriously in the lockdown. I learnt different techniques, from painting with water colours to mastering the art of Mandala art. Professionally, I steepened my journey into the tech front. I learnt about product manager skill sets, tech expertise and relevant skills sets for the business I am in.
Divya Bhatia, 32, Mommy Blogger, Malviya Nagar
2020 has been nothing less than a roller coaster for me. I decided to leave my high-paying job in Dubai and stay close to my family. I was always inclined to learn clay pottery and gardening, but these needed time and ample patience; both of which I learnt this year, while learning these skills online. For the first time, I experienced the happiness of sowing a seed and watched it turn into a plant. Doing these things gave me peace, and I learnt the importance of accepting all changes.
Simar Khurana, 23, Marketing professional, IP Extension
In the lockdown, I developed an interest in Bonsai plants — small trees that mimic the shape and scale of full-size trees. I started reading and understanding their formation. Then I visited nurseries, and now I have 10 Bonsais at home and I spend time taking care of them.
Monica Aggarwal, 26, Architect, Gurugram
The lockdown was a tough time for architects, but gave me a chance to improve my skills. I took up a few courses and workshops on UI/UX design from LinkedIn, Growth School and Skill Studio, which helped me a great deal to understand several aspects of my profession.
Gautam Chintamani, 41, film historian and author, DLF Phase 5, Gurugram
For me, the pandemic presented an opportunity to get back to cooking, which I always enjoyed but never got a chance to be ‘serious’ about. Since the onset of the pandemic, not only have I been cooking three meals every day, but also experimenting with cuisines. I discovered that in addition to being therapeutic, cooking helped me beat the writer’s block.
(Contributed by Rajkumari Sharma Tankha and Nikita Sharma, Shantanu David and Bhumika Popli)