In a bold and much-needed initiative, ‘Parenting Aaj Kal’, a Hindi-language chat show by Much Much Media, dives into the complexities of parenting and mental health in India. Hosted by Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy, one of India’s most respected developmental pediatricians, the podcast provides a compassionate space where real families and expert voices come together to discuss what it means to raise emotionally healthy children in today's fast-changing world.
The first episode opens with a raw and emotional conversation between mental health advocate Ira Khan, Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy, and Dr. Pervin Dadachanji, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with over 40 years of experience. Through their deeply personal stories and clinical insights, the trio explores depression, stigma, intergenerational silence, and the need for open emotional communication in Indian families.
Ira Khan’s Story
Ira Khan, founder of the Agatsu Foundation, brings a vulnerable honesty to the conversation as she shares her lived experience of battling depression. “I was completely sleepless. I would either sleep for 18 hours or not at all,” she confesses. The lack of appetite and motivation eventually pushed her to seek help, but only after hitting rock bottom.
Ira reflects on the disconnect she often felt even when surrounded by support. “I would feel very lonely, but I would not meet my friends. Until I stopped eating food, I did not ask for help,” she says. Her candidness about the pressures of modern life, emotional invisibility, and family dynamics will strike a chord with many young Indians. She also mentioned how people do not recognise mental health illness until it affects you to a point where you stop carrying out your everyday functions.
In a powerful moment, Ira recounts a recent emotional exchange with her mother: “In 27 years, I’ve never seen my mother cry. She said, ‘My therapist told me to show my emotions, but I was scared you’d be scared again.’” This dialogue captures the often unspoken emotional barriers between Indian parents and their children, born out of love, but perpetuating silence.
Clinical perspective: Understanding the signs
Dr. Pervin Dadachanji draws from her decades of experience to explain how mental illness manifests differently in children. “In children, depression often shows up as irritation or a lack of interest,” she notes. She stresses the importance of seeing behaviour as a form of communication and advocates for early intervention. “The first thing I ask is, what’s going on in this child’s life?”
She underlines that mental illness isn’t about willpower: “Just like someone with diabetes needs insulin, someone with depression might need serotonin through medication.” Her advice is relatable, and rooted in compassion, from encouraging routine-building behaviour to the importance of physical activity.
Redefining therapy and support
Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy brings humour and realism to the conversation when she says, “In our time, there was ‘thappad therapy’ or ‘slipper therapy.’ What is this therapy, really?” Her question prompts a much-needed cultural shift in how therapy is viewed in India, not as weakness, but as a form of care.
She highlights the alarming statistics, one in four children today faces depression and urges parents to not dismiss anxiety and sadness as mere phases. “What is anxiety? We didn’t have it, they say. But when does worry become a diagnosable problem?” she asks.
Episode one of Parenting Aaj Kal lays a solid foundation for what promises to be an insightful and healing series. The message is clear: feelings need to be acknowledged, named, and expressed. As Dr. Dadachanji says, “Name it to tame it. If we talk about our feelings, they don’t spiral.”
For listeners, especially parents, this episode is not just informative; it’s transformative. This podcast is specially curated in Hindi for the sole purpose of making sure that it reaches Indian households who understand Hindi language and can recognise the importance of mental health.
