Quarantine Chronicles: Lockdown has been a mixed bag for me, says Sacred Games actor

Elnaaz Norouzi was getting ready for her workout session while she talks to us from Germany, which is three and half hours behind. “This lockdown has been a mixed bag of emotions for me. It has been fun as I spent it with my family and friends. I haven’t spent such quality time with them in the last ten years. The amount of love I have gotten in the last few months has been incredible. At the same time, it has created a vacuum as I haven’t been working and has made me a bit emotional too, when I think of the road ahead of my career,” she tells us.

Elnaaz who rang in her 28th birthday celebration last month says that if it wasn’t for the lockdown she would have had a working birthday. “I have celebrated my previous birthdays on the sets of films. I would have travelled to India and been at work. Things have slowly started opening up in Germany and my birthday was great with my loved ones,” she smiles. Elnaaz gets candid about her fitness regime during the pandemic. “I haven’t been able to maintain my fitness during the corona times. The gyms here were closed and I had my virtual fitness sessions at my home in my garden over a Zoom call with my trainer. This lockdown, walking has become a new habit. My diet has gone for a toss too and I would be lying if I tell you that I haven’t put on a little weight,” she smiles. Cooking and gardening are other pastimes for Elnaaz. “I take online courses as well apart from matching masterclass. I have also started learning tennis this lockdown,” she reveals.

Elnaaz’s character of Zoya Mirza from Sacred Games has been the audience’s favourite character in the lockdown. “I have been always cautious about selecting the content I am a part of. I have been a part of very few projects because I feel I am responsible for doing good roles as the audience has always looked up to actors. Post lockdown I will be shooting for a couple of films but the process has been a bit slow,” she adds. Being born into an Iranian family, Elnaaz was raised in Germany and have been working in the Indian film industry. The actress agrees that she faces identity crisis. “It is tough as these countries are different from one another in various things. One has to learn and adapt. I have gotten used to India and now I have to get back to my German days to work on my new projects with people here this year,” winds up the actor.