After Sushant Singh’s Death, More Celebs Open Up About Mental Illness. It Shows How Deep-Rooted the Problem Is

Bollywood

After Sushant Singh’s Death, More Celebs Open Up About Mental Illness. It Shows How Deep-Rooted the Problem Is

sushantsinghrajputsuicidementalillness
Illustration: Mitesh Parmar

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s unforeseen death has left fans and well-wishers in shock. This week, apart from putting a spotlight on the role of the media when covering sensitive topics, as well as setting off a debate on the “clans” within the Bollywood film industry, his death has also led to a renewed conversation on mental health.

In the last few days, several prominent personalities have opened up on their own experiences with depression, mainstreaming a conversation that is generally viewed with a lot of stigma in this country.

Congress MP Milind Deora was one of those who tweeted about his time dealing with “the blues”. On Twitter he offered five coping tools for those suffering bouts of bad mental health. “You are more loved than you know,” he reminded his followers.

Comedian Danish Sait also took to Twitter to talk about his experience battling depression and anxiety. In a thread, he reveals that he has been undergoing therapy, and taking antidepressants for three years, and said that the illness was “hard to describe”, and even “harder to understand.”

“A broken hand can’t be fixed by a mechanic next door, it needs a professional. A broken mind needs a professional too,” he wrote, urging people to seek help and fix themselves.

His admission caught the attention of actor Deepika Padukone — who warned Sait against listing the medication he was on, lest the information be misused — but said it was heartening to see so many people come out and share their experiences. The actor has, on several occasions in the past, openly spoken about her battles with depression.

Actor Ronit Roy too spoke about his struggle, in an interview with TheQuint. Speaking of depression, he confessed that he turned to alcoholism.

While actor Shamita Shetty put out a lengthy post on her Instagram account about fighting depression. “Depression… anyone of us can go through it… recognise it…accept it… and reach out for help in whichever way you can,” she said.

 

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Peace , Positivity and Love to all ❤️

A post shared by Shamita Shetty (@shamitashetty_official) on

The Congress party’s official Twitter handle had also put out an appeal soon after the death of the 34-year-old actor, that the country be more forthcoming about mental health and break the stigma around it — for the sake of our youth.

NDTV India’s news anchor Ravish Kumar used his prime time slot to address the elephant in the room, with a focus on how an irresponsible choice of words — especially when used by the television media — can worsen a situation. While calling out sensationalist reporting, he also spoke out against the self-proclaimed experts who start presenting unsolicited opinions as soon as tragedy strikes.

While Sushant Singh’s death was enough to send anyone spiralling, it has indeed been heartening to see so many prominent faces accepting depression for what it is — an illness. The more open we are about it, the sooner it can be addressed.

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