DNA Exclusive: 'Haven't seen my dad since four months', says Kumar Sanu's daughter Shannon who is quarantining in US

Various families have been living separately since the coronavirus outbreak. One such family happens to be Bollywood singer Kumar Sanu and his family, including daughter Shannon. While Kumar Sanu is quarantining in India, Shannon has been isolating in US with her mother and sister.

Talking about the situation of COVID-19 in US, Shannon, who is a singer like her father opened up about dealing with the lockdown situation and keeping herself busy and calm. Shannon also answered whether she has some surprise for her fans.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

1. What is the current situation of COVID-19 in US?

The current situation is quite stressful. There have been a lot of protesting near my area and I guess we are all just trying to stay patient as it’s been a very long time. I’ve also noticed people have been going back to their normal lives, shopping for groceries but with the protection of their mask and gloves. Everyone’s maintaining social distance and a lot of states are in talking of getting the lockdown being lifted. Some of the beaches have been reopened which is good for the LA people as beaches are one of the major highlights in LA. 

2. What is your daily life like under the lockdown?

My daily life involves a lot of cooking and cleaning and organizing in Konmari method I feel like ever since the lockdown I’ve gotten more time be organized with my things. Along with that I play with my pup Cocoa for positivity because his love is unconditional and teaches me to be happy no matter what! He’s truly a stress buster for me especially during this time. It feels like I’m re-living the same day  like Tom Cruise movie Edge Of Tomorrow but I try to find different ways to keep myself busy and not get depressed. 

3. You were going to visit your father Kumar Sanu in April. How long has it been since you last saw him in person?

I was planning to come down to India to visit my dad, unfortunately those plans had been cancelled due to COVID-19. The sad part is that we didn’t get the chance to stay together as a family instead my dad’s back in India and I’m here in LA with my mom and sister. It’s extremely hard to live without your family members as this is the time when you need them altogether. I haven’t seen my dad in last 4 months and I’m just waiting for things to get normal so that he can come visit us real soon. Doesn’t seem soon though!! 

4. Are you constantly in touch with him and your family through video calls?

We are in touch through FaceTime and we speak twice a day. It feels like he’s with us even though he’s in india. I talk to my grandma as well who’s in Jaipur and make sure she is doing well. It’s like a part of our daily routine to talk over video call. I can feel the pain of the people who are far away from their family. 

5. When do you see yourself visiting India again?

Hopefully when the flights are back on and the coast is clear I shall definitely visit India. Most likely after getting vaccine to make sure I don’t fall sick.   

6. Has the situation made you more productive at home?

The situation has for surely made me productive. I’ve been writing songs and exploring myself with skills that I would’ve never tried if I was not in lockdown. I think this time has really helped my creativity to expand more. Being focused a bit more on my mental health for instance , meditating to relax my mind and soul. Though at times I do feel the urge to just walk outside and breathe in fresh air but I know that staying at home is for my well being. 

7. Are you working on something under the lockdown?

Yes, I’ve been working on few songs and I’ve been coming up with creative lyrics and ideas. I’m super excited to share some of the things that I had already been working on like my up coming single which is titled “Knock Knock” and it’s about showing my ethnicity and culture. For the music video I went to Jaipur to film at the beautiful Mundota Palace and Fort. Hopefully the single would come out sometime this year and I’m looking forward to seeing all my fans reaction. 

8. Do you plan to host a concert for your fans?

... Not really because I need my band to play for me and right now everyone is bit sad so I’m waiting for everyone to be able to join me . There are health conditions in few of their families, let’s see if they get better and we can do something together for fans. 

9. Do you know someone who was detected positive for coronavirus?

Fortunately all my family members and friends are safe and none of them have been found positive but I feel extremely awful for those who’ve lost their loved ones due to COVID-19. My deepest condolences goes to them. 

10. How are you dealing with the mental stress that comes along with the lockdown?

As we all know that this is a very fragile state and we can easily tend to get into depression, and to not let that happen I tend to divert my mind into various activities such as cooking, painting, Drawing , Meditation etc. 
I feel like the more you indulge into cool activities the less you’re likely to get depressed and that’s my goal. Mental health is very important to keep a person happy and positive, I pray and hope for everyone to be happy and positive! This is my own quote for positivity, "You’re made for a reason, to Shine!!"