Being in spotlight ain’t an easy job. And with great fame come great responsibilities which at times, become a problem for the ones in the entertainment industry to handle. From depression to anxiety, from body issues to addiction, Bollywood stars have gone through it all. But what is commendable is their openness about their struggles. Here are some celebs who have emerged victorious from their fight against various mental problems…
Yo Yo Honey Singh
There is a reason why you have been missing his peppy songs for a while. During that time, Yo Yo Honey Singh was suffering from bipolar disorder. He shared this news with his fans, just like a true rockstar. “It was scary. One year had passed and I wasn’t responding to medicines, until a fourth doctor from Delhi treated me. At one point, I thought I would live in this darkness forever. I had cut myself off from everyone. I didn’t come out of my room, forget stepping out of the house. I had a beard and I didn’t get a haircut for months. For someone who has performed in front of a crowd of 20,000, I was scared of facing 4-5 people. That’s what bipolar disorder does to you,” said the rapper.
Deepika Padukone
Indian Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone takes part in a promotional event in Mumbai on February 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / STR |
She has commanded her life to success today after having to battle a long period of depression. She spoke to her fans about her mental health and personally shared her daily struggles of having to live with it. In fact, she took a step ahead to establish a centre for mental health so as to help those who are facing the trauma she once had to face herself.
Shama Sikander
The television actress was ruling the small screen with her portrayal of a middle class gujju girl in the serial Yeh Meri Life Hai. And then one day she suddenly disappeared (from the limelight we mean). She resurfaced again a year ago, when she posted a sexy pic with her boyfriend. She also revealed her reason for being off the grid: Depression. Speaking about it, she said, “She quoted- For one year I did not even know what was happening to me so, I had no idea and I just used to feel very dark, gloomy and sad. I did not know what was the reason behind this, but I felt directionless. I felt hopeless and I hope that never happens to anybody because hope is what we survive on and if we don’t have hope we have nothing. The feeling was so dark that I would wake up at night and start crying without knowing why I am crying. Only someone who has gone through it can understand and how I feel it is.: The actress is all set to return to showbiz with Vikram Bhatt’s webseries titled ‘Maya’.
Shahrukh Khan
It might come as a surprise to many, but Bollywood’s King Khan, Shah Rukh, had a spell of depression post his shoulder surgery in 2010. Speaking about his battle with the illness, he said, “Due to the shoulder injury and the suffering I had got into a depression mode but now I am out of it. I feel happy and boosted with energy.” Like a true king he emerged victorious, beating the dreaded depression.
Anushka Sharma
It is quote natural, for celebs to feel anxious and stressed, after all, maintain once position in the showbiz does require a lot of effort. But actress Anushka Sharma, had more than brief spells of anxiety. Speaking about her tryst with anxiety, she says, “I have anxiety. And I’m treating my anxiety. I’m on medication for my anxiety. Why am I saying this? Because it’s a completely normal thing. It’s a biological problem. In my family there have been cases of depression. More and more people should talk openly about it. There is nothing shameful about it or something to hide. If you had a constant stomach pain, wouldn’t you go to the doctor? It’s that simple. I want to make this my mission, to take any shame out of this, to educate people about this.”
Varun Dhawan
The every chirpy actor who made a rocking entry in Bollywood as a student with Karan Johar’s Student of the year, has had his share of depressing moments too. Speaking about it, Varun said, “I was depressed. I was not clinically declared depressed but I was heading there. I was very sad to a certain degree. I don’t want to use the term ‘depression’ loosely because it’s a serious illness. It definitely affected my mental health. I was prescribed and did see a doctor for it as well.” The actor is currently reveling in the success of Badrinath Ki Dulhania.
Randeep Hooda
Versatile actor, Randeep Hooda, has admitted to being a victim of depression. And this has happened right after the success of Sarbjit. “There was a big hangover after ‘Sarbjit’ because of the involvement that was required in the film. It all lingers on. It has happened before as well. After ‘Highway’, I was depressed for a long time. I had to tell myself that I am not a petty taxi driver and that is not my life. Nobody loves me the way other characters loved mine in the film. You have to go through such things at times,” says the actor.
Ileana D’Cruz
Last year, the Rustom actress revealed about her several mental struggles. The pretty Ileana struggles with Body Dysmorphic Disorder, anxiety and depression. Opening about her struggles she said, “I have really emotional moments and it’s something I only realized recently. I’d wake up sometimes and I’d just cry, and I’m thinking of the most hopeless scenarios, and then I’m like ‘why am I thinking about that?’ There’s one voice in my head saying ‘you’re being stupid, you don’t have to be so upset about it, you have a great life’ and then the other part is like ‘no, you’ve got this not working for you, you’ve got that not working for you.’
So it’s just two little voices in my head fighting each other constantly, and it can be really bad. If I can be completely honest with you, I had a really shit day today. I woke up and I was feeling shitty, and I didn’t know what to do, and I sent [a friend] a message saying ‘I really need a friend, can I call you?’ She was at work, but she thankfully answered the phone and spoke to me for an hour, then I told her I have to go get ready because I’m going to be live on camera in like two hours. They’re going to see me looking like shit! I may be lucky that I have a job where I’m supposed to look amazing, I’m supposed to look like there’s nothing going on with my life, so it sort of pulls me out of it and distracts me. But a distraction is just a temporary stop on it, it’s not a final something. So it’s not easy. I don’t know how much to say about it because I don’t know how to get through it.”
Manisha Koirala
This beauty suffered acute clinical depression following her bad marriage with former husband and various other factors. She opened up to the world about her mental condition and also requested for help and suggestions through social media. Today post her divorce and emerging victorious against her fight against cancer, she is walking stronger than ever.
Parveen Babi
Yesteryear actress Parveen Babi had suffered from paranoid schizophrenia when she was alive. Rumour has it Parveen’s mental disorder was due to alcoholism which resulted out off her failed relationships with actors-cum-villains Danny Denzongpa, Kabir Bedi and commercially acclaimed director Mahesh Bhatt. She also allegedly had an affair with Amitabh Bachchan, her co-star of many films. Driven by her irrational thinking, she later on accused senior Bachchan of trying to kill her. –CINEBLITZ
