Deepika Padukone recently featured on the Spotify podcast ‘Archetype' hosted by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. The episode, which also featured American actor Constance Wu, delved into the importance of taking care of our minds. During her conversation, Deepika, a prominent voice of mental health and well being in India, said, “It's [mental health] the same way we have physical ailments. Our mind is very much a part of our body. But somehow, when it comes to mental illness, we start treating our minds like outside of our bodies”. In many parts of the world, including India, mental health and conversations around it are still considered a taboo, Deepika elucidated.
“There's two parts to this. One is, I think, where people struggle the most, especially in India, where there's so much stigma attached to mental illness - creating awareness. Most of us don't even know that we're struggling with mental illness.
And second, if we are to destigmatize it, to let people know that it's okay to seek help and to let caregivers know that it's okay for someone to go through this.” For Deepika, her family has been a critical support system. She says, “Today it's all about the little things, like hugging my sister or just late-night conversations with my husband - those are the moments that really fill me up today”.