New Delhi: Bollywood star Arjun Kapoor has spoken about his battles with mental illness. Arjun is currently topping the charts for his performance as the antagonist in ‘Singham Again’, directed by Rohit Shetty. During a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Arjun discussed his struggles with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland.
Arjun Kapoor went on to talk about his "worst phase" when he was diagnosed with mild depression. He said, “I started seeking therapy... The depression and therapy part started happening last year... I did not know if I was depressed or not, I knew something was not working... my life was filmed, and now suddenly I used to watch other people’s work and think to myself, ‘Will I be able to or will I get a chance?' I have never been a bitter or negative person, but it started festering inside me in a very off way... I started therapy and went to a couple of therapists who didn’t work out. So, I was confused again. I then found someone who really allowed me to speak. She did diagnose me with mild depression at that point in time, which is very circumstantial.”
Arjun Kapoor On Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
In the same interview, Arjun Kapoor discussed his struggles with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and how he has dealt with this and other health issues throughout his life. Not only that, but his sister Anshula Kapoor and mother Mona Shourie Kapoor have also dealt with Hashimoto's disease.
The actor shared, "Its almost like I can take a flight and gain weight because the body goes in distress... your body is in flight-or-fight mode. Hashimoto’s disease happened to be when I was 30 and I defied it and I said, 'No, this can't be'. My mom used to have it and my sister also has it.”
He added, “If I look back today, I can see myself and my body changing through the course of my films. Now that is 2015-16, that's 7-8 years of me holding that physical trauma and then my films not panning out at the same time.”