Everyone Should Lookout For ZEE5 Original Loser, Says High Priestess Actor Amala Akkineni

​​On May 6, 2020, Amala Akkineni joined the ZEE5 team in an Instagram Live Session. She opened the session by wishing her fans well and with excitement to take their questions. A year ago, Amala made her comeback; as a lead, after 22 years with the ZEE5 Original show High Priestess. It also marked her digital debut. A year later, the actor-activist shares her thoughts on and during the lockdown.

Watch the trailer here:

When asked about how she was dealing with lockdown, Amala said, “I have gone to a lot of retreats where you confine yourself and consolidate everything. So this is not very different for me. The few days were difficult, trying to take care of the house, of the family members. It was a little overwhelming. But now we’re simplifying our lives. We have regulated our work hours.”

Furthers, she explained two key learnings that the lockdown has bestowed upon her. “One is, people are more important. So we packed away a lot of stuff and made more room for ourselves. And the second is, I discovered someone called Marie Kondo. She teaches cleaning with an inner philosophy of growth. We’re all humans, who are growing and growing. So it’s important to look back, and thank everything, but also let it go.”

The actor added that this is no vacation and the work continues to go on. “All the classes for Annapurna College of Film and Media are now being taken online, entirely. And we plan to get back in action in September.” A viewer asked the graceful actor tips on physical and mental wellness. And of course, Amala unleashed a lot of wisdom that we’re sure will help many.

She said, “there’s so much disturbance, with the news and the documentaries surfacing. One way to keep yourself sane is by practising breathing, meditation, and calming yourself. Our purposes and values will affect when it all gets over. So, simplify. Don’t function as we did earlier. Conserve your energy, focus only on what you can do and what’s in your control”.

“Akhil is working on his inner and outer fitness. He aims to be more focused, and come out of it as a stronger person. Nagarjun is doing the same. My mother is 82-years-old, she’s also finding ways to keep herself healthy. We’re spending more quality time with each other. We’re eating together.” She added, “Even at Blue Cross foundation, we have dismissed all the regular duties. We’ve asked people to stay at home and take care of their families. We plan on doing what we can.”

Furthering her love for animals and feeding the strays, Amala said, “We have about 100 volunteers across the city who live near eateries. They are feeding the strays. We partnered with Pedigree, who donated Rs. 3 Lakhs of pet food. Currently, we’re feeding up to 3-4000 stray animals.” Finally, she remembered the memories of High Priestess and said, “Pushpa Ignatius- the director of the series was in control of everything on the sets. And it was so wonderful to see that, as a woman”.

The actor said, “I learned Tarot Card Reading from Pushpa for the show. And I would practise it on the sets too. Slowly people started joining in and asking me to read it for it. It gets addictive, you know?” sheepishly. When asked about the whole concept of Tarot card reading, she said, “long story short, it’s a reminder to you of your own wisdom, it’s a guidance to you.

When asked what she wants people to learn from the pandemic, Amala explained, “I have been associated with Blue Cross Hyderabad for 28 years. We have seen such situations with animals several times. In my understanding, we need to talk care of our family, learn better hygiene. We cannot say ‘oh, No. I have to go. They’ll feel bad otherwise’. Because we’re not doing any good by spreading our flu. Another thing is visiting people in the hospital. That needs to stop.”

Talking about her zen-like lifestyle, Amala let us in on many secrets. “I do yoga, or a swim, or do weight training in the gym. I love to walk in nature, take a hike. But that’s not happening. So, I walk on the treadmill. Even cleaning the house is a good workout.” “I prefer a plant-based diet. Because as you age, you need less and less of everything. But it should be quality, vegan diet suits me best. Also, no animals have to suffer. It’s more balanced. You eat with gratitude.”

Lastly, Amala excited announced that one must wait for the upcoming ZEE5 Original series, Loser, starring Priyadarshi. “It’s made by an all-Annapurna College of Film and Media alumni. It’s very special to us. It’s a great story, too. I urge everyone to look out for Loser.”