I had never thought that I'd end up respecting 2020 as the finest year of my life. It has been a tough year for everyone and to all those who've experienced tragedies, you deserve all the empathy in the world. To all those who've struggled professionally, may 2021 open up better possibilities for you. Let me share a few points why I consider 2020 as the best year of my life.
The year started off on a horrible note. The manufactured hatred and the uncertainty of identity tore me apart. Delhi riots broke me from within. Something died in me maybe for ever. The trust was lost and the vulnerability shook me from within. Covid Lockdown happened and the world changed, maybe for ever.
Let me explain how 2020 turned out to be the most amazing year for me professionally. In late March it dawned on me that Covid madness is definitely going to stretch beyond the stipulated 21 day lockdown period. I requested Anubhav Sinha for a what's app video call interview. The interview turned out nicely and suddenly there was work for our team. Two of our team members volunteered to edit videos on their lap top. We started experimenting. A what's app call video interview with Armaan Malik didn't turn out as per the plan. The video was recorded but there was no audio. We did the interview again and thankfully the results were positive this time. We experimented with Skype interview with Sonu Nigam who was in Dubai where what's app audio or video calling isn't allowed. We have experimented with technology right through the year with success and some level of failure.
We moved on to doing instagram live interviews with stars. Two of the editors had started editing on their mobile phone by then. So four of our video editors were functional. I was doing 2-4 instagram live chats on a daily basis. We had work even on the weekend. It was a blessing to have work when the whole world was grappling with the new reality.
Initially big stars were not willing to do interviews but I persisted in approaching them. Some interviews took months to materialise but when they finally happened, the response was big. The movies started releasing online and the stars were readily available. We moved on to Zoom call recorded interviews. We were constantly learning new things in this new world. Technology proved to be a big boon. I was doing interviews left right and centre. Some of the interviews were okayed because we felt it will help us get a good response in terms of video views. Some were okayed because, more interviews meant adequate work for the team members working from their homes. We were backing each other. Empathy connected us.
I've done interviews in unusual circumstances. I did an interview with Ishaan Khattar, Ram Kapoor and Vijay Varma while I was on the way to #Kedarnath. We stopped over at a dhaba and got lucky with the 4G speed. At the Kochi airport yesterday, I did an interview with Saif Ali Khan. The 4G connectivity at fast.com showed 39 MBPS speed and I was overjoyed. Smooth sailing.
Now I have a green screen at home and we are experimenting with virtual backgrounds. My One Plus 7 Mobile Phone has been one of my best friends in 2020. I've done over 350 virtual interviews since March. I am a perfect candidate for endorsing One Plus 7 now. I am serious :)
All of us have heard people talk about wearing presentable clothes on top and wearing shorts or boxers during Zoom call meetings since they've been at home. I had interviewed Sharat Kataria a few years back post the success of his directorial venture #DumLagaKeHaisha. He had told me that during his struggle phase, he followed a set routine. He woke up at a set time each day and wore proper work clothes including socks and shoes and moved to another room in his house (that had been designated as his office) where he wrote all day. I followed the same for my work pattern. I wore jeans, t shirt/ shirt and even shoes during the interviews as it gave me a professional feel and a sense of purpose. I changed t shirts/shirts for each interview. The library in our house has turned into a studio by now. There are two tripods, a light, green screen and a desktop.
Sushant Singh Rajput unfortunately passed away in June and Bollywood went into a crisis. Suddenly there was a lot of interest in all my interviews with Sushant. Every single interview was shared, small clips flooded my instagram. A reach of1.5 million for my instagram account @ifaridoon for several weeks baffled me. A few journalists were being criticised for writing gossipy blind items on Sushant. Thankfully I have always stayed away from this gossip form of journalism and hence the trust factor amongst Bollywood fans in me was feverish. The amount of respect that has come my way during the last few months has motivated me to continue pursuing credible journalism. Entertainment journalism is much more than merely salacious gossip.
The hardships of the year taught me to be an even better listener. The anguish and the pain that I experienced in the first three months due to a sense of betrayal, organically channelised itself into empathy for people with whom I came in contact with. Through the virtual mode, with no one (other than the celebrity whom I was talking to) between us, I noticed the celebs opened up like never before. Mental health was a key issue. The better side of everyone, the sorrows, the troubled past...I was absorbing so many stories. It made me feel better as a human being.
On the personal front, there were some important changes in my life. I started offering Namaz five times a day. I believe Wazoo (5 times a day) has helped me immensely in keeping my hygiene in top condition and has boosted immunity too (hopefully). Namaaz has helped me understand myself a lot better. Ammi Najma Mahmood told me to seek for forgiveness and extend gratitude to Allah in each Namaaz during Dua. I guess we demand and complain too much rather than thanking and saying sorry. Humility is everything.
I kept all the 30 Rozaz during Ramzan for the first time in my life. It has been an incredible experience teaching me the importance of Sabr and cleansing from within. Aarefa Faridoon 's amazing tahedaar parathas during sehri were another big incentive for going the entire distance through the whole Holy month.
Another big change in my personality has been an in depth fascination with Urdu literature and what I've done to aquire a better understanding of it. While the social media trends and biased media reports were immensely distressing and depressing, I found solace in a quest for Knowledge. Life is too short and there's so much to learn. I started watching literary sessions of the greats of Urdu literature. Shamsur Rahman Faroqui sahab was the first one whom I started exploring. I watched every single session, interview and documentary on Farouqi sahab. I kept on re-watching (re-listening rather) most of his youtube videos. It was a fascinating experience. Similar exercise followed with Muneer Niazi, Zafar Iqbal, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Waseem Barelvi, Jon Elia, Bashir Badr and more. I am currently exploring the greatness of Iftiqar Arif sahab and it is an absolutely amazing experience. There is a drastic difference in the poetry that have been writing in my 'maadri zaban' in the last six months. The response is baffling me. When you're doing something right, you know that you don't need anyone's validation and you deserve the applause that's coming your way.
I have also managed to find ways to pursue one of my prime passions and that's Traveling. Delhi, Kedarnath, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Tadoba National Park, Pench and Kerala, I've had my fill. It has rejuvenated and motivated me immensely. Health is another key factor that has taken top priority. I've been very regular with Yoga, exercising and healthy eating. If I am posting pictures of yummy delicacies in the afternoon, that means I am skipping the dinner or having a very light one and that too before 8 pm. Being a foodie doesn't mean that you need to have three big meals every day. Economise!
One of the most important developments in this year has been my bond with Aarefa and Insha. We have been lockdown partners and it has been an outstanding experience to discover the friendship and regard that we have for each other. Aarefa has been brilliant in terms of managing the house during the Covid scare and managing her work life simultaneously. Insha scored 97% in her tenth boards and topped in Commerce stream in her school. A moment of great pride for us.
I know this has been a long post and I can still write so much more. But as you can see, why for all the practical purposes, 2020 has been the best year of my life.
Looking forward to 2021 with hope. May Allah be kind to everyone.
Happy New Year!
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