Excelsior Correspondent
BHADERWAH, Apr 18: Showing a perfect blend of harmony and hospitality during ongoing lockdown due to outbreak of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a family here became saviour for a film making group from Pune who got stuck in lockdown far away from home.
On a trip across Jammu and Kashmir, a Pune based documentary film making group has been forced to break their journey in picturesque Bhaderwah Valley due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Nachiket Guttikar along with his team members Shamin Kulkarni and Ninad Datar were about to leave Bhaderwah Valley after completing their shoot for a documentary when the lockdown was announced.
The filmmakers who belong to Pune in Maharashtra, arrived here on March 15 for filming a documentary and were scheduled to board a flight back home from Jammu on 25th March , but due to sudden nationwide lockdown for 21 days, they group got stuck up in Bhaderwah.
“Not only the flights were suspended but also all the hotels here got closed and there was no public transport plying on the roads. Having no place to stay, we started panicking, but we were fortunate enough that this family at Gatha village graciously offered us to stay with them”, said Nachiket Guttikar.
“One thing which really moved us emotionally, was when after two days of our stay, administration took us to hospital quarantine, despite being a local, Aazim (landlord’s son) volunteered himself to stay with us for 14 days of quarantine period, so that we won’t feel alone”, Nachiket said.
“It has been 32 days we are staying with this family and due to their friendly nature, not for a single movement we missed our family or our place. I am quite sure that one can ever experience this thing in any other part of the world”, said Ninad Datar.
The family who offered their home to the travellers consider themselves fortunate that they got an opportunity to help strangers during crisis.
“It is not a favour, if tomorrow our children get stuck in the same situation, someone will surely extend a helping hand to them. So my appeal to everyone is that in the given circumstances, we should go an extra mile to help the people in distress”, said Nazim Malik, owner of the house, adding that the guests are welcome to stay at my home till the situation demands.
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