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'Talk to Someone': After Sushant Singh Rajput's Death, Bollywood Calls for Better Mental Health Care

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Sushant Singh Rajput's death has been a huge wake-up call for Bollywood stars, who are emphasizing on the importance of reaching out.

Sushant Singh Rajput's death on Sunday has once again put spotlight on the importance of mental health care with celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone, Ileana D'Cruz and Zoya Akhtar emphasising upon the need to communicate.

Many from the film fraternity urged people to be more sensitive, empathetic and available to their close ones who might be silently suffering.

Deepika Padukone said as someone who has battled depression, she understands the importance of reaching out. "As a person who has had a lived experience with mental illness, I cannot stress enough about the importance of reaching out. Talk. Communicate. Express. Seek help. Remember, you are not alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is hope," she posted on Instagram.

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#youarenotalone

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Jun 14, 2020 at 6:51am PDT

Karan Johar said he "blames" himself for not being in touch with Sushant for the past one year. "I have felt at times like you may have needed people to share your life with but somehow I never followed up on that feeling... Will never make that mistake again. We live in very energetic and noisy but still very isolated times some of us succumb to these silences and go within. We need to not just make relationships but also constantly nurture them," he said, "Sushant's unfortunate demise has been a huge wake up call to me to my level of compassion and to my ability to foster and protect my equations. I hope this resonates with all of you as well... will miss your infectious smile and your bear hug," he added.

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I blame myself for not being in touch with you for the past year..... I have felt at times like you may have needed people to share your life with...but somehow I never followed up on that feeling...will never make that mistake again...we live in very energetic and noisy but still very isolated times ...some of us succumb to these silences and go within...we need to not just make relationships but also constantly nurture them....Sushants unfortunate demise has been a huge wake up call to me ...to my level of compassion and to my ability to foster and protect my equations.....I hope this resonates with all of you as well....will miss your infectious smile and your bear hug .... A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) on Jun 14, 2020 at 4:07am PDT

Anil Kapoor tweeted, "The fact is, we never really know what anyone is feeling in the deep recesses of their hearts. If you feel like you're drowning please please please reach out to someone you trust, whether that is a friend, family member or a professional."

pic.twitter.com/RPIbSdiYXa — Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) June 14, 2020

Actress Ileana D'Cruz posted a long note on Instagram, saying, "Spent the day in a heavy emotional haze... Bawled my eyes out for hours... I didn't even know Sushant personally but this hit so close to home it affected me so deeply..."

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Spent the day in a heavy emotional haze... Bawled my eyes out for hours... I didn’t even know Sushant personally but this hit so close to home it affected me so deeply... I can only send my deepest most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, loved ones...I cannot imagine the pain you’re going through ♥️ There’s so much I want to say...we’re so misunderstood and I mean all of us as humans...we put on brave fronts when all we really want to do sometimes is to curl up and cry our hearts out.. We say we’re fine when we’re actually longing to scream out I’m drowning please help me... We smile and laugh and toss aside the pain that’s eating us up on the inside... And then when no ones looking we break we shatter we crumble we collapse... We are human. We are flawed. It’s ok to not be ok. It’s not ok to stay that way. It’s not weakness to ask for help. You are not alone. I know that feeling all too well... And I’m not here to preach... All I ask from all of you is to please please please be kind. The world needs more of your kindness. More of your empathy. More of your love. Even if you don’t understand, just be kind. A post shared by Ileana D'Cruz (@ileana_official) on Jun 14, 2020 at 6:03am PDT

Zoya Akhtar said she hopes people soon realise the importance of mental health and treat those in need with utmost care. "You have gone too soon and all we can do is make sure you haven't gone in vain. May we realise the importance of mental health. May we treat depression and anxiety with the care it needs. May we be there for those around us who could be suffering," she said.

Sushant Singh Rajput ❤️ You have gone too soon and all we can do is make sure you haven’t gone in vain. May we realise the importance of mental health. May we treat depression and anxiety with the care it needs. May we be kinder to those around us who could be suffering. May we always remember that you gave us more than you took ❤️ I wish you eternal peace ❤️

A post shared by Zoya Akhtar (@zoieakhtar) on Jun 14, 2020 at 4:58am PDT

In December 2019, TV actor-model Kushal Punjabi committed suicide at his residence. Balika Vadhu star Pratyusha Banerjee, VJ-model Nafisa Joseph, actor-model Kuljeet Randhawa, actress Jiah Khan, actor Kunal Singh, and recently TV actors Manmeet Grewal and Preksha Mehta are among those from showbiz who have succumbed to stress and mental health issues. Actor Richa Chadha said the entertainment industry comes with tremendous pressure and the conversation regarding mental health should take centre stage. "Happiness doesn't lie in money, fame and things. It's something that needs cultivating like a habit, especially in our field of work, almost daily. If we can withstand the pressure! Audience, press, peers, please be kind... #MentalHealthMatters. RIP friend, see you soon," she added.

Actress tweeted, "What? Why? Psychiatrists say suicide can be prevented if those around can read the signals and seek medical help and counselling. What a loss for the film industry."

This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata).