On June 14, 2020, the nation was shook upon receiving news of Sushant Singh Rajput’s apparent death by suicide. The actor supposedly- and I use this word, as now, there are many theories floating as to how he passed away- hung himself and died by asphyxiation. Soon came the news that Sushant was suffering from depression. His ex-girlfriend recently confirmed the same during an interview and even stated that the actor was seeking treatment for his condition. And she too, like the citizens, wants to know whether the same drove him to take this extreme step or was it something else. What happened in the week prior to this shocking and unfortunate incident? What made Sushant do it? Did he do it? Or was it murder? Who was involved? No one knows yet, and everyone is hoping that the truth will soon come out.
But I’m not here to discuss all that as that’s up to the system to figure out. However, what’s definitely in our control is how we go about the discussion around mental health. Sushant Singh Rajput’s case has shed light on the pitiful state of mental health awareness in our country and how we perceive mental illness. If we go by Sushant’s ex-girlfriend’s truth, the late actor indeed was suffering from depression. However, a Bollywood actress, well-known for her “bold” statements, is claiming that the same is baseless, and that he had no history of any mental illness, before meeting the girl he was last involved with.
What’s astounding is that this actress, who takes pride in exposing the entertainment industry’s harsh truths, has absolutely nothing to do with the case. What started with her demanding #justiceforSSR, has now turned into her making open claims about his mental health and stating that he was murdered, because he knew some dirty secrets. Mumbai Police who? ED who? CBI who? This actress is the one who knows it all!
Well, she can continue with her claims to seek publicity all she wants. But her perception of mental health and the support she is getting for it shows how long a way we have to go to change mindsets. The actress, during an interview, took a dig at a fellow-actress, who has been vocal about her battle with depression and even has a foundation to help those suffering from mental illnesses. The actress said that the fellow-industry member claims she was dumped and hence, slipped into depression several years after the supposed break-up. How is this possible, she wants to know. How can someone who is depressed continue to have affairs, work in films and make glamorous appearances, she wants to know.
Our justice queen has conveniently dismissed all the other statements made by the depression survivor earlier- that she felt depressed despite her professional high and the amazing relationship that she was involved in, that she would put up a brave face for her parents but was suffering greatly.
And that brings me to an important point about depression. Let us start with the basics by defining the same- it is a mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loss, or anger. The most common symptoms of depression include loss of interest in daily activities, changes in sleep patterns, loss of energy, etc.
Yes, going by the common symptoms, one would assume that a person who appears happy, chirpy, is always smiling is obviously not depressed. And this is the very perception that needs to change. Most importantly, before we fully educate ourselves about mental illnesses, making open claims about another’s mental state is highly irresponsible.
The fact is that people suffering from depression can also appear to be happy, and functioning well in their day-to-day activities. This is because individuals going through this condition may be trying to hide it, in order to put up a brave face for their loved ones or because they may be fearing judgment for the same.
Also, depression can happen to anyone, at any time. It doesn’t come with a fixed timing or an expiry date. The condition can also occur without any specific incident or trigger. And it may even take time for an individual to figure out if he/she is depressed and for the condition to be diagnosed. So questioning the cause and timing of someone’s mental health is ignorant, to say the least. And if we really wish to bring about a change, the first step would be to address the topic of mental health responsibly, instead of applauding and supporting someone who doesn’t have basic knowledge about the same. So casually did we accuse the depression survivor of putting up a farce and running a mental health “business.”
Sushant’s ex-girlfriend of approximately six years has claimed that when she and he were together, he was happy, healthy and wasn’t depressed. She even stated that she doesn’t wish for people to remember him as a depressed man as he was a “strong” man.
It goes to show how someone with a mental health condition is automatically stigmatized and perceived as a weak person. And yet again I point out, Sushant may not have been depressed during the time he was involved with this particular ex-girlfriend of his, but as per claims, was diagnosed with the condition later, as like I said, depression can happen to anyone, anytime.
It doesn’t matter if these statements were made to suggest that the actor did not die by suicide but was murdered. Irrespective of the cause, the conversation around his mental health goes to show the regressive way in which we view it and how casually we make open claims as if we have the professional qualifications to do so.
“May Sushant RIP,” says the world. But do we mean it?
