Right after the COVID lockdown hit on March 25, 2020, nurse-turned-actor Shikha Malhotra stepped out with her nursing degree and testimonials. She felt she had to heed the clarion call to medics to be on the frontline. The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale — one more reason for Malhotra to prove the role of nurses in supporting patients.

Malhotra herself got infected and later, suffered a stroke, which led to long bouts in the hospital. But she remained undeterred. “I am a fighter. Every time I face a roadblock in life, I make it a stepping stone to walk ahead.”