Bollywood Kanika Kapoor’s coronavirus drama continues

SINGER CONTRACTS COVID-19: Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who revealed that she had contracted COVID-19 upon her return from London, and is now in lodged in a hospital in her hometown Lucknow is playing out like a cheesy potboiler. Just like a ‘masala thriller’, there’s melodrama, deceit, incriminatory accusations and tantrums galore. We take a look at all the drama that’s going down in Kapoor’s world as she copes with the near-fatal virus at an insolation ward.

KANIKA KAPOOR ALLEGEDLY CRIES FOUL: The ‘Babydoll’ singer Kanika Kapoor, who comes from a privileged, upwardly mobile home in Lucknow, isn’t happy with her isolation ward at a local hospital. She’s being treated for the deadly virus, that’s crippling the world. According to reports in Indian daily, Kapoor isn’t happy with her hospital room in the isolation ward. She claims that the food served to her is unhygienic and the room is infested with mosquitoes and is unclean. The hospital authorities have hit back and chided her for throwing ‘tantrums’. “Kanika Kapoor has been provided the best that is possible in a hospital. She must co-operate as a patient and not throw tantrums of a star. She is being provided a Gluten-Free Diet from Hospital Kitchen. She has to co-operate with us,” Dr RK Dhiman, Director, Sanjay Gandhi PGIMS, Lucknow said.

KANIKA KAPOOR GETS CHARGED FOR NEGLIGENCE: The Lucknow police have booked Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor on charges of negligence for attending various social events in Uttar Pradesh despited being warned to isolate herself at home. Kapoor has been booked under Sections 188, 269, and 270 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sarojini Nagar police station in the city. The FIR was lodged based on a complaint filed by the chief medical officer (CMO) of Lucknow. Kapoor has categorically denied these charges of negligence and claims she didn’t flee the airport. “They didn’t asked me to quarantine … All these rumours are wrong. I find it comical that I escaped from an airport, why would I do that? It took two days to be tested and I had to chase the health authorities,” said Kapoor in an interview with India Today television.

BOLLYWOOD IS DIVIDED OVER THE KAPOOR ISSUE: While singer Song Mahapatra blasted Kanika Kapoor for her cavalier attitude towards COVID-19 and its potential risks, actress Sonam Kapoor came out in defence of Kanika. “Hey guys @TheKanikakapoor came back on the 9th. India was not self isolating but playing Holi,” wrote Kapoor on her Twitter account.

WEIGHING IN: Actor Rishi Kapoor has also weighed in on the issue. Why didn’t the plush hotel that she was staying in screen the guests, asks Rishi on Twitter. After her return from London on March 19, Kanika Kapoor reportedly checked into a plush hotel and attended several private parties with well-heeled politicians in the city before being diagnosed of COVID-19. “Think. Chalo Delhi airport se to nikal gayi [She escaped unnoticed at the Delhi airport]. Why an establishment like The Taj Lucknow Hotel didn’t have the facility to screen visitors? After all the Taj is a huge name and a property. Surely they could have detected!,” tweeted Kapoor. The hotel, in turn, hasn’t taken his accusation lightly and has tweeted the actor back with: “@chintskap. At all our hotels, we have undertaken extensive precautionary measures including thermal screening of all guests, staff and vendors. At the time of check-in, her temperature was found to be normal. The safety and wellbeing of our guests and associates are of paramount importance.” The social media is also now debated whether hotels are now responsible for screening their guests and should they have check-points like hospitals in the grim times of Corona.

KANIKA KAPOOR IN A WITCH-HUNT? As Kanika Kapoor revealed on her social media account that she is down with coronavirus, everybody who’s a somebody has an opinion about it. While the majority are blasting the singer for acting reckless and not exercising social distancing, there are many in the industry who haven’t minced words. Filmmaker Ashok Pandit even goes to the extent of labelling her a ‘criminal’ “#KanikaKapoor needs to be treated like a criminal first and then a patient. Please don’t waste your energy over this irresponsible woman, just treat her the way you would treat any commoner and if she has problem please throw her in a quarantined jail cell,” tweeted Pandit.