With their April wedding cancelled, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal are making do with video calls to stay in touch

With their wedding stalled, Richa and Ali making do with video calls

A week ago, Richa Chadha had shared a throwback post with actor-boyfriend Ali Fazal, writing, “Long time no see”. The duo, who have been dating for five years, haven’t seen each other for over two months despite being in the same city. “We could have asked for permission from our respective housing societies, but it would have been a risk. So, we avoided meeting,” informs Richa.

If the pandemic and ensuing countrywide lockdown had not played spoilsport, Richa and Ali would have been married by now, with festivities spread across three cities—Lucknow, Delhi and Mumbai—in April. “Ali and I were organising everything ourselves. The invites were yet to be sent out, but we had finalised other things, which had to be cancelled,” she sighs, saying, for now, it’s a waiting game. “I was called an anti-national on Twitter for asking when the lockdown would end. Now, we will take a call only when normalcy returns.”

However, unlike other lovelorn couples, Richa and Ali were used to video calls before the lockdown, thanks to long outdoor schedules. “We are used to the distance by now. Besides, I love being alone,” points out the actress, who currently has her brother for company. “He came in just before the lockdown was imposed and it’s a good thing, as otherwise I’d have been too lazy to cook for myself,” she chuckles, boasting that after all the time spent in the kitchen, she has finally perfected the masala dosa, sambar and coconut chutney spread.

Ali and I were organising everything ourselves. The invites were yet to be sent out, but we had finalised other things, which had to be cancelled. I was called an anti-national on Twitter for asking when the lockdown would end. Now, we will take a call only when normalcy returns.Richa Chadha

Richa admits she was quite disturbed initially when the lockdown started. Workouts and meditation helped calm her down. “Every time I watched the news, I’d get anxious about the plight of the poor and so started doing charity. I just want to help in any way I can,” she asserts.

The actress, who is currently reading How to Start a Revolution based on the Serbian democracy movement, warns of the consequences of neglecting the poor in dire times. “If the upper and middle class think they will skirt around the crisis, they are in for a shock. Not paying those who have helped them all their lives and letting go of them in their time of need, is going to come back to bite them,” she prophesises.

Towards the end of last year, Richa made a trip to Kazakhstan to learn belly-dancing from world renowned dancer April Rose, who lauded her moves in a practice video she posted recently. Ask her if she’s learning the dance form for a film and she shoots back, “None of my films have the scope for dance. I’d kill it in a dance film, but no one offers me one. I would even do an item song where I wouldn’t be the item.”

Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal and their love story