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desi culture. In a world where everyone from the hotshot CEO to the neighbourhood aunty suffers from the ‘what will people say?’ syndrome, matters pertaining to mental health are often swept under the rug. The default desi attitude towards mental health is “if we ignore it long enough, it will just go away”. Forget about being vocal about mental well-being, in Indian society, by and large, it is not okay to admit to not being okay.
However, all hope is not lost. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people became more aware of the importance of mental well-being. In recent years many celebrities have tried to normalise public discourses on mental health. Many A-listers have been vocal about the fact that despite having a seemingly perfect life, they have had their struggles with depression and self-esteem.
On this World Mental Health Day, let us salute the Bollywood celebs who have never shied away from speaking about their struggles with mental health :
Deepika Padukone
The leggy beauty has never kept mum about her struggle with chronic depression. In 2015, the ‘Padmaavat’ star opened up about the times when she was at her lowest point mentally.
In an interview with a leading daily, she said, “I assumed it was stress, so I made an effort to divert my attention by concentrating on my work and encircling myself with people. This worked for a time. But the nagging sensation persisted. I was having trouble focusing, had short breaths, and frequently lost it.”
Padukone also highlighted the fact that often the state of your psychological well-being has little to do with your professional or personal success.
In her blog post for the New York Times, the diva revealed that despite reaching a milestone in her professional as well as personal life, she was diagnosed with clinical depression. “On paper, that should have been a great period in my life. I had just starred in four of my most memorable movies, my family was extremely supportive, and I was dating the man who would later become my husband. I had no reason to feel the way I did. But I did. I was exhausted and sad all the time. If someone played a happy song to cheer me up, it only made me feel worse. Waking up every day felt like a huge endeavour,” she wrote.
Aside from doing her bit to normalise conversations around mental health, the ‘Chennai Express’ actress has also built a mental well-being foundation called ‘Live Love Laugh Foundation’ to assist those who are going through a personal crisis.
Alia Bhatt
Despite receiving one professional accolade after another, Alia Bhatt is no stranger when it comes to having days when she feels off-kilter mentally. In a 2019 interview with Filmfare, the ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ star opened up on experience of living with debilitating anxiety. “Initially, I’d be a little confused. I’d constantly give reasons that it’s because of work or maybe I’m tired or haven’t been able to meet anyone,” revealed the star.
The ‘Highway’ actress added that she had learnt to be more transparent about her struggles with anxiety. “What’s important is to accept it and not say that you’re fine. If you’re not feeling fine, then you should just say you’re not feeling fine,” she was quoted as saying to the film magazine.
Karan Johar
It is difficult to imagine the ever-confident and suave KJo as someone going through a mental health scare, but appearances can be deceptive. In a 2016 interview with
NDTV, the ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ filmmaker admitted that he had battled clinical depression. He further revealed that he had experienced a rough patch where he had self-destructive thoughts and was on medication. “When I went through that phase, I thought I was going to have a cardiac arrest. I felt it in the middle of a meeting two and half years ago, after which I left the meeting in between saying I have something urgent to do and rushed to the doctor, ” revealed Johar.
The ‘ Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ director eventually discovered that the main culprit behind his ill health was not a weak heart but some unresolved personal issues.
“I realised that I had some internal issues to deal with, which got built up to such a point that it resulted in anxiety,” the ‘Koffee with Karan’ show host was quoted as saying to the news media company.
Shah Rukh Khan
No one would ever imagine the ‘Baadshah’ of Bollywood as someone dealing with something as mundane as depression. He is the one who has taught millions to hope for the best and never give up. Many of us have grown up hearing Om Kapoor reassure us that “
picture abhi baaki hai mere dost..” However, the reality is not so hunky-dory.
King Khan once admitted that he had experienced depression after his shoulder surgery in 2010. The ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ actor said the period of inactivity following the shoulder injury led to some rather depressive thoughts.
“I had entered a depressive phase as a result of the shoulder injury and the pain, but I’m finally out of it. I’m content and have more energy than usual.” He went on to say, “When I have to communicate my deepest emotions, I struggle. I am a very private, quiet, and shy person. I’m not proud of it, but sometimes people misunderstand how I show my love, friendship, anger, and apologies because I lack the skill to do so,” the ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ star was quoted as saying in an interview with
IANS.
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