The prime minister thanked the people but said it was the start of a long battle, as he urged them to follow social distancing to stop the chain of transmission of Coronavirus which has infected 360 people and claimed seven lives in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's endearing call for a "Janta Curfew", which not only seeks to bind together a diverse nation but sends a powerful message of "resolve" and "restraint" to the global diaspora, is India's historic Gettysburg moment.

Bollywood has been practising self-isolation for a few days now, especially on Sunday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Janta curfew.