MUMBAI: When it comes to 2020, one thing that’s collectively true for all of us is the year taught us many important life lessons and gave us the time to learn skills. Be it the unavailability of the house help, adapting to the WFH routine, online schooling, or dealing with the loss of a loved one and job cuts, the unforeseen circumstances certainly made us push our boundaries. 

We also got time to learn a new skill or polish some old skills, which we had almost lost touch with. From helping in domestic chores to learning a new skill, TV celebs sum up how 2020 turned out for them...

Molkki actor Amar Upadhyay said, "2020 proved that there’s no bigger force than nature. The pandemic has made me very mindful about using our resources. However, the year has been great for me both personally and professionally, as I got back to doing TV with Molkki.". "I picked up the habit of cooking for my family during the lockdown and will continue it, as the little kitchen experiments make all of us very happy. From making delicious mango ice-cream to Punjabi and Sindhi delicacies, I tried it all. I’m now glued to online cooking tutorials.", he added.

Actress Yesha Rughani said, "The break gave me time to sit back, rethink, and carefully plan my next career move. It taught me how to prioritise the two loves of my life–acting and entrepreneurship. I learned various art forms like Mithila painting, Warli art, Lippan art and started playing the ukulele. Learning these art forms and instruments is therapeutic and I will certainly continue practising these creative forms.".

The Naagin 5 actress Surbhi Chandna said, "Valuing relationships and focusing on growth have been my 2020 learnings. The year taught me to be more resilient and helped me understand how to strike a balance between work and personal space. She expressed that 'acceptance' and 'adjustment' are the two most valuable skills that she picked up during the lockdown. "I am a cleanliness freak and no amount of cleaning would satisfy me, not even if it was done by my mom. The lockdown made me realise how much unnecessary pressure I was putting on myself, especially during the absence of the house help.", she concluded. 

Bigg Boss 14's ex-contestant Nishant Singh Malkhani expressed, "The year has taught me to be more patient and reconsider my career opportunities. I learned to enjoy the small joys of life and realised that sometimes, it is necessary to prioritise and compartmentalise things.".

"I thoroughly enjoyed working on my culinary skills. I have learned to make biryani and delicious chaats and now, feel confident to even host my friends. I never knew that cooking can be so therapeutic! I plan to continue experimenting with various cuisines.", he added further.

Sumedh Mudgalkar said, "This year has been full of unexpected situations and it taught us to make our way through it. It also taught us to take it easy and always look at the bigger picture to find our source of happiness even in the toughest situations.", added to which he further revealed, " Honestly, I didn’t go all gung-ho about my cooking skills. I did learn the basics like making chai, poha, paneer bhurji and got back to learning guitar and writing poetry.".

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Actor Vijayendra Kumeria expressed, "The year has been full of learnings in the absence of my house help. From cooking and doing all the household chores to managing erratic WFH schedules, the year has taught us the fine art of balancing.". He further informed, "Honestly, I have tried my hands at cooking before and the results weren’t great. But during the lockdown, I started experimenting by watching online tutorials and soon, started to make one square meal. I plan to continue making one meal in a day even when I start shooting.".

Actress Aakanksha Singh said, "The unprecedented break forced us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The break also helped me to introspect and take some time out for myself and my family. I’m now ready to get back to work in the new normal.". She further revealed that she was never into gardening, however, during the lockdown, she gave it a try and found it 'extremely therapeutic'. "I often talk to my plants and it helps me relax. I plan to continue it even when I’m shooting. I also got back to reading and it’s relaxing.", she added on.

Lastly, the Anupamaa actress  Madalsa M Chakraborty expressed, "The year taught us the most valuable lesson- being happy with what you have and not running behind materialistic pleasures. It pushed us to cut down on unnecessary expenses and save smartly.". She further informed, "I started learning guitar, as I wanted to learn it for a very long time. I’ve also started practising yoga regularly and it keeps me calm, especially now that my shoots have started again.".

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Credit: Bombay Times