“There is a ‘before and after’ to life following a mental illness. Deepika Padukone recently stated in a voice chat room session, “I lived a specific life before depression, and I have a completely different life after it.” The actress has spoken up about her struggle with depression on numerous occasions and has been a vocal champion for mental health. Her mother, Ujjala Padukone, noticed that the manner she sobbed was “unusual” and that “it wasn’t the normal relationship issue or stress at work” when she hosted a Clubhouse session when she reminisced about how she broke down.
“It really started in February 2014…,” the actress said during the session. I felt hollow, aimless, and as if life had no meaning or purpose for me. I was unable to experience any bodily or emotional sensations. I just sensed a vacuum… I had been feeling this way for days, weeks, and months until one day my family came to visit and was packing their belongings when I suddenly broke down in their room. That was the first time my mum realized something wasn’t quite right. My scream was unique. It wasn’t a typical boyfriend problem of work-related stress. She was always asking if it was this or that. I couldn’t pin down a single reason. It was based on her prior knowledge and expertise.
“I keep repeating that there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t worry about my mental health,” Deepika said. To avoid returning to that place, I need to pay attention to the quality of my sleep, diet, hydration, exercise, how I handle stress, and my thoughts and awareness. These are the things I have to do every day, not because they are fancy phrases or because it’s cool to do them, but because I won’t be able to exist if I don’t.”
Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone’s next films include Pathan, Fighter, Mahabharata, The Intern, Nag Ashwin’s next, and Shakun Batra’s next. She’ll also be seen in Kabir Khan’s 83 alongside her husband Ranveer Singh.
