Rather than spend his time in isolation showing off his cooking skills on social media, actor-musician Diljit Dosanjh has been busy doing what he likes best.

Over to Diljit from his 37th-floor apartment in Mumbai. “Sir, main ek baat bataaon? Main bahot khush hoon is quarantine-time mein. I’ve always told you that music is my first love. In recent times I haven’t been able to focus on my music as much I wanted. There were too many things happening. But now during this lockdown, I’ve been concentrating entirely on my music, and a different kind of music.”

Diljit has used the lockdown lacuna to work on an album of folk songs. “Fans of my music have been requesting me to return to my roots as a musician. I’m doing an album of traditional Punjabi folk songs. These are sounds I’ve grown up hearing. And now it’s time for me to harness those sounds into what they mean to me.”

Diljit says doing the folk album in isolation has been an occasion of self-discovery for him. “Roza savere uth ke riyaaz karta hoon (every morning I wake up and practice my singing). Phir nashta khud banata hoon (then I make my own breakfast). Phir lag jataa hoon apne album pe(then I plunge into my album).”

Diljit says he has never been more at peace. “Up here on the 37th floor there’s no disturbance of any kind. I’ve no one in my home with me. No house-help. I do all the cooking, cleaning myself. And the rest of the day goes in my album.”

The album of folk songs, a first for Diljit, is almost ready. “Now I just have to go into a studio and record it once the lockdown is over.”

How does Diljit view the lockdown? “You can either cry or laugh about it. I choose to be happy in my isolation. It’s a time of tremendous creativity for me. Of course work has suffered. But then everyone is in this together. Everyone’s work is suffering.Toh main kyon hungama machaaoon? It’s up to us to take this situation, positively or negatively. I choose to stay happy, I advise everyone to do the same.”