Writers do social distancing on regular basis but this isolation is different: Kanika Dhillion

Writer Kanika Dhillion says during the lockdown phase, she is finding it challenging to mentally isolate herself and focus her creative energies on writing.

As a writer, Kanika said, she is no stranger to social distancing as she often do that to find her zone for developing stories. “We do isolation, quarantine, social distancing as writers on a regular basis when we have deadlines. But this is different. The point here is, are we able to do mental isolation? 

“I am trying to mentally isolate myself from all the chaos and everything. The idea is to keep yourself sane, we need to create our own ways to look at it in a positive manner,” Kaniika told PTI in an interview.

The country is witnessing a 21-day lockdown period, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has so far claimed the lives of 68 people and infected 2,902 others. Kanika, known for films such as "Manmarziyaan", "Kedarnath" and “Judgementall Hai Kya”, said it is hard for her to concentrate on anything as she is worried about the current scenario.

“Irony is we are already isolated but not mentally. As a writer, I need to be in a certain frame of mind to write and the way things are around us it is difficult to be creatively productive. One is constantly tracking the news, the situation is changing every day and we are stuck inside, the environment has suddenly changed and we are trying to adapt to it. “As creative people some are lucky who are able to block this and utilise this time in a productive manner. I am trying to come to a state where I can isolate myself,” she said. Kanika said she is working on a few film scripts at the moment.

“I am working on few film scripts, one is a drama and another is a thriller and both will have strong male parts (Kanika is known to write strong female characters). “My next film is ‘Haseen Dilruba’, one major chunk of it is shot and once things reopen, we will resume shooting.”

READ: With 24 More Deaths, Indiana Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 100