Pandemic made me realise the value of life: Vindhya Vishaka Medapati

Like every year, this year too, Vindhya Vishaka was all kicked to present IPL 2021 (Telugu) from the studios in Mumbai. Halfway through, however, the cash-rich tourney was called off after players began contracting the virus despite remaining in the bio-bubble.

Vindhya recalls hosting IPL in Mumbai when the second wave of the pandemic triggered in April. “As I was in a bio-bubble, I didn’t know about the disastrous scenes outside. Moreover, I did not even interact much with my family too,” she explains.

So, when the IPL was called off mid-way, her first reaction was to immediately panic. “The sudden development affected me so much. The news of cricketers losing their fathers and their dear ones completely shook me up,” recollects Vindhya, adding that everyone in the broadcast team was immediately asked to leave to their respective hometowns. “The situation was utterly chaotic, and no one knew what was happening then.”

Heading back home

During the trip to Hyderabad from Mumbai, Vindhya was required to wear three PPE kits and triple masks. It was then she understood the gravity of the pandemic and the devastations happening outside.

She also remembers being inundated with ‘How are you doing’ and ‘Hope you are fine’ messages from her friends and well-wishers. However, ever since her return home, she’s been hearing heart-breaking stories of families losing their dear ones.

“It’s so terrible and disheartening to listen to all the sad stories of my friends’ parents passing away. And then, the news about the lack of beds, oxygen cylinders, ventilators only added to the wretchedness,” says Vindhya.

With the losses mounting around her, the compere says she began realising the value of life. “We struggle for fame and money, but at the end of the day, what’s important is health and life. If those are affected, everything goes for a toss,” says the presenter, who’s also started her own YouTube channel.
Keeping busy through lockdown.

Since she’s back home, Vindhya has been ensuring that her parents don’t step outside and that the whole house follows all health protocols. But there is something else that’s keeping them going in these sad times.

“I come from a pet-loving family and have around fifteen pets at home. They keep all of us in high spirits and engaged all the time,” she says, adding that she also indulges in gardening, which keeps her refreshed.

Despite it all, staying cooped up at home through the pandemic is a task — one which can turn rather boring too. To beat the pandemic blues, the sports presenter has been reading a lot of biographies, including Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ book, Unfinished, and watching old cricket videos and trying to relive the moments from those.

Recently, Vindhya contributed  '1 lakh to actor Sonu Sood’s foundation by auctioning her wardrobe. “Sonu Sood has inspired me in several ways, and the kind of work he is doing is truly commendable,” she says, expressing her admiration for the actor and his charitable efforts.

Missing work

But Vindhya remembers how angry she was on knowing that the tournament was suspended. “Initially I couldn’t come out of the fact that the competition was suspended. But slowly it dawned on me that health and safety are more important,” she says.

Vidhya Vishaka with M.S. Dhoni

However, Vindhya misses the tournament, big time. Thinking back to her time in the bio-bubble, which she calls ‘challenging yet interesting’, she tells us that she had to quarantine herself for one week at the start.

“And it was chaotic. No one used to come and clean the rooms, although our respective heads were calling and talking to us constantly, checking on our well-being. But we were not allowed to meet any outsiders who were not part of the bubble. We spent most of the bio-bubble time chilling with cricketers and presenters,” she recalls adding that they had to get tested for COVID-19 once every three days.

Of course, every test was accompanied by nervousness. “Because if you were positive, you had to head back home,” she explains with a smile.

What work brought her

The first Telugu female sports presenter, Vindhya has hosted the ICC World Cup, Pro Kabaddi leagues, IPL, etc. — she calls experiences as great and satisfying.

“When the Telugu version was launched for cricket, I did not have any reference to host the shows. It was quite challenging, and I started watching Mandira Bedi and Mayanti Langer so I could get the knack of it,” she says. In fact, interacting with presenters from other languages made her better understand the nuances of her job.

Vindhya Vishaka with Brian Lara and Dwayne Bravo

Vindhya worked hard to understand the rules and spending a lot of time watching the game. Her interactions with the players also enhanced her knowledge, and life as a sports host has been very enriching. 

The best part of her hosting journey came when she met her favourite star and cricketing legend, Brian Lara. She had travelled to West Indies on behalf of Star Sports to cover the Caribbean Premier League in 2019. She and her husband Vishal stayed in Lara’s house for a month and says it was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.