Deepika Padukone Shares About Her Battle With Depression, Recalls Telling Her Mother 'Mujhe Jeena Hi Nahi Hai'
Deepika Padukone on Wednesday made an appearance on Pariksha Pe Charcha, an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise awareness about mental health.
Deepika Padukone on Wednesday made an appearance on Pariksha Pe Charcha, an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise awareness about mental health. During the episode, the actress got candid about her struggle with depression and how she managed to overcome it.
Deepika Padukone's journey through depression
Reflecting on a difficult phase in her life, Deepika shared that she once experienced suicidal thoughts and struggled to find the strength to go on. “I transitioned from school to sports, then modeling, and eventually acting. I kept pushing myself until, in 2014, I suddenly fainted. It was only later that I realised I was struggling with depression. The thing about depression is that it’s invisible—you can’t always see it. There might be people around us battling anxiety or depression, yet we may never know because, on the outside, they seem happy and normal,” she revealed.
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When Deepika told her mother 'Mujhe jeena hi nahi hai'
The actress admitted that, for a long time, she kept her emotions bottled up, especially since she was living alone in Mumbai. However, it was her mother who recognised that something was wrong and took the first step in helping her seek professional help.
She recalled, “When my mother came to see me in Mumbai, on the day she was leaving for Bangalore, I suddenly broke down. My family asked me all sorts of questions about my work, but all I could say was, ‘I don’t know. I just feel helpless and hopeless. Mujhe jeena hi nahi hai (I don’t want to live).’ Thankfully, my mother recognised the signs and suggested I see a psychologist. In our country, mental health carries a stigma, making it difficult to talk about. But as soon as I started speaking about it, I felt lighter. Anxiety, stress, and depression can affect anyone, and talking about it truly eases the burden.”
Deepika has been a vocal advocate for mental health awareness and has actively worked towards destigmatising the conversation around it through her Live Love Laugh Foundation. Along with sharing her personal journey, she also offered valuable advice to students on how to cope with depression.
On the work front
On the professional front, Deepika was last seen in 'Singham Again', directed by Rohit Shetty. The film, featuring an ensemble cast including Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Kareena Kapoor, and Arjun Kapoor, earned ₹372 crore globally at the box office. Having recently embraced motherhood, the actress has yet to announce her next project.
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