Dancer and aspiring Bollywood actress joins fight against Covid-19 as a frontline nurse in India

When India went into a national lockdown to fight a surge in Covid-19 cases in March 2020, dancer and aspiring Bollywood actress Shikha Malhotra decided to join the battle by trading her glamorous sari for white protective gear. A certified nurse, she has been working on the front lines of the pandemic in Mumbai, one of the nation’s worst-hit cities. But after seven months volunteering at hospitals in the city, Malhotra became infected with the coronavirus herself, and was admitted to hospital. Now fully recovered and with offers for acting jobs coming in again, Malhotra said she plans to continue her acting career, but stands ready to serve as a nurse again when needed.