Coronavirus effect: With shoots cancelled, stars show off hidden talents

Call it the coronavirus effect, self-quarantine or social distancing, but the global pandemic is certainly giving celebrities across the globe plenty of time to hone their hidden talents.

We all know Hollywood actor Ben Affleck is master storyteller – he has an Oscar for ‘Good Will Hunting’ to prove it – but did we really know that he’s an ace photographer as well?

His talent was splashed on Instagram by his rumoured girlfriend, ‘Knives Out’ star Ana de Armas, who posted pictures of herself during a vacation in Costa Rica which were taken by Affleck himself. The couple first connected on the sets of ‘Deep Water’ and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana has a talent of his own – a closet poet. As the shutdown due to COVID-19 affects film shoots, the ‘Article 15’ actor shared some self-written prose on social media, dedicated to low-income groups in India. Khurrana’s sonnet attempted to explain how the coronavirus is affecting two economically segregated classes of the country.

“Ab ameer ka har din ravivaar ho gaya (Every day is a Sunday for the rich), Aur gareeb hai apne somvaar ke intezaar mein (And the poor lie in wait for their Mondays). Ab ameer ka har din seh parivaar ho gaya hai (Now every day is family time for the rich), Aur gareeb hai apne rozgaar ke intezaar mein (While the poor lie in wait for daily wages),” he tweeted.

Khurrana is also not the only one with prose in Bollywood. Amitabh Bachchan, whose father was a notable writer and poet, is also an accomplished artist. The veteran actor, who is currently undergoing self-quarantine, posted a video across his social media platforms, doodling some lines on the coronavirus that drew reference to his 1996 song ‘Eer Bir Phatte’, which featured in his 1996 album ‘Aby Baby’. Interestingly, ‘Eer Bir Phatte’ was inspired by one of his famous dialogues in his movie ‘Adalat’ (1976).

Another talented star is Debbie Allen, the actress who we all know as the fiercely independent Catherine Fox on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. Yet few know that Allen is also a talented dancer. In fact, as the coronavirus lockdown affects the globe, the actress took to Twitter to announce she was hosting a free dance class. “FREE DANCE CLASS TOMORROW! Tune in to my Instagram Live on Wednesday at 1pm PST/4pm EST and let’s get those bodies moving! All are welcome. Spread the word. See you on the dance floor,” the actress tweeted.

Salman Khan is another Bollywood star known to sketch and paint in his spare time. Giving his fans a little treat during the coronavirus quarantine, the actor took to social media to sketch out a charcoal design on paper. “So the way we dress is perhaps the best thing that our culture has ever done,” said Khan as he begins sketching in the video. By the end of the video, his Instagram was flooded with comments from his fans.

Katrina Kaif is an artist in the making as well. Although she is limiting her talents to strumming the guitar and singing. While the Bollywood star was hesitant to share her singing voice with the world just yet, she did post a video on her Instagram where fans can see her attempting something. The actress has promised she will unveil a video with sound very soon.

While Kaif has also been using the time to stay fit, one actress who has impressed us with her workout regime is Jacqueline Fernandez. We knew she was a gifted pole dancer, but if her recent spate of yoga videos are anything to go by, this young star could leave many a yoga guru behind with her skills.