There used to be a time when we looked up to celebrities because they were worthy role-models. We cannot say the same about our celebrities today.
A recent gaping example is the unfair elimination of Khanzaadi or Firoza Khan, a woman rapper contestant from Bigg Boss 17. For those who’re not following this season, here’s a briefer.
Khanzaadi’s deteriorating mental health on the show
While there are many problematic issues in Bigg Boss 17 which I will share in another article, I want to discuss the deplorable attitude of the makers about mental health.
Khanzaadi was doing great on the show until she confided about her past health condition to a fellow contestant, Abhishek, a TV actor. Being a competitive show, Abhishek twisted it around and used the information to his advantage.
Surely enough, Khanzaadi became a mockery of all the housemates, except a few who jeered about her health. This triggered a mental breakdown in her. It got so bad where even the host, Salman Khan, joined the housemates in their apathy towards her condition.
What followed next was an ugly showdown between Salman Khan and Khanzaadi, who stood her ground. She finally walked away and cried that she wanted to leave the house.
Needless to add, this was the final nail in the coffin for Khanzaadi as far as the journey in the show was concerned. They eliminated her in the next few weeks, much to the public furore.
It’s not uncommon when one’s mental health can take a hit when they are diagnosed with a chronic condition. Khanzaadi’s doctor shared how her Ankylosing Spondylitis led her to become bedridden for years and being mobile only in a wheelchair.
As common citizens, we expect better from people in positions of power, privilege and responsibility. Be it a doctor or celebrity. More so from celebrities who wield an influence of large scale.
Why should celebrities be cognisant about mental health?
Consider these statistics:
India ranks 126th out of 146 countries in the World Happiness Index because of the rising mental health crisis in the country.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the problematic opinions on mental health by our celebrities.
1. Salman Khan
When once asked about mental health, Salman’s response implied busy people cannot be depressed.
“I see a lot of people going on vacations, but I cannot afford that luxury of taking a vacation. I see a lot of people getting depressed and emotional, but I can’t afford that luxury of being depressed or sad or emotional because no matter what I am going through, it works against me.”
It’s as bad as his deplorable comparison of his role preparation in the movie Sultan to that of a rape victim. There’s an insensitive trivialisation of rape and mental health in his statements.
If there was an iota of truth in Salman Khan’s perception of mental health, how would one explain the death of VG Siddhartha, the late CEO of Cafe Coffee Day? Siddhartha’s tragic death by suicide provoked nationwide discussions on work-life balance, toxic work culture, and the importance of mental health in professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
So, it wasn’t surprising when Salman Khan couldn’t empathise with Khanzaadi’s mental trauma as he doesn’t understand it. That her illness was now a thing of public mockery completely broke her spirit and instead of giving her the much-needed motivation, they all jointly bullied her to her unfair elimination.
Very few celebrities like Abdu Rozik came out in Khanzaadi’s support. One such lone celebrity voice was Riddhi Dogra who tweeted,
“Even if you think someone is faking it, please let the #mentalhealth expert step in. Something is triggering her. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but her and the docs. #Khanzadi
@ColorsTV saw some clips last night & it was evident the person is struggling with something.”
2. Kangana Ranaut
Trust Kangana Ranaut to have an opinion on everything under the sun!
While there are times she makes sense, sometimes you wish she’d stay silent and not do any further harm. Like her half-baked opinions on mental health.
It started with her rivalry with Deepika Padukone, causing her to act petty and make fun of Deepika Padukone’s Live, Laugh, Love foundation. She attacked Deepika for forcing depression upon people.
“Yeh jo depression theory hai, yeh Deepika Padukone ji hai woh achanak se 2015-16 mein kehti hain ki ‘2008 mein mujhe dump kiya gaya tha, toh mujhe uska depression aaj ho gaya hai. Aath saalon baad. Uske baad, beech mein unke affairs bhi chal rahe hain, woh ache se kaam bhi kar rahin hain, woh bahar jaake sajti sawartin bhi hain, sab kuch hota hai, shaadi bhi ho rahi hai, but depression bhi saath saath mein hai. Aisa kaise depression hota hai joki aath saal baad hota hai?”
Again, after Deepika Padukone’s tweet on awareness around mental health post Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, Kangana Ranaut tweeted, “Repeat after me, depression is a consequence of drug abuse. So-called high society rich star children who claim to be classy and have a good upbringing ask their manager, ”MAAL HAI KYA?” Repeat after me, depression ka dhandha chalane walon ko public ne unki aukat dikhadi.”
She also gave her unsolicited two cents after Ira Khan spoke about being clinically depressed. Kangana Ranaut said it was common for people coming from broken homes. It’s why the traditional family structure is so important.
The third instance was when Kangana Ranaut bullied queer illustrator, Priyanka Paul, with no provocation. She mocked Priyanka in her tweet,
“You have admitted you are suicidal, you are toxic, you even have a creepy appearance - what is it that you don’t have? Change that hairstyle ASAP and learn to meditate.”
After some tit-for-tat tweet exchanges between the two, Kangana tweeted,
“What is that tattoo on your arm? Some ogre? Ha ha I love weirdos, you are the kind of woman I want in my wild house parties, stop fighting with me... come on be nice ... sending you a hug, now reciprocate nicely.”
What is problematic about Kangana’s take on mental health is her utter lack of empathy towards the victims, apart from her distorted notion of mental health.
I don’t doubt that Deepika Padukone struggled with depression. But even if we assume Kangana Ranaut’s claims are true, I’d say it’s a good thing if Deepika Padukone is using her influence to spread awareness on this important topic.
Second, depression doesn’t always mean looking sad and unkempt. I’m reminded of a recent memoir that I read, “The Devil’s Daughter” by Vidhie Mukerjea. The author shares how post her mother, Indrani Mukerjea’s arrest, her coping mechanism was partying hard and appearing too happy on the surface for others. But she was crumpling inside with depression to the verge of suicide. So, depression looks different on different people.
Next, while the traditional family structure undoubtedly has a lot of benefits for an individual, it’s also true that these units can also be toxic. These cases are less spoken about because they’re not aware that they suffer from this condition or because there’s a negative bias against victims.
If Kangana’s solution of combating depression with a traditional family structure was true, how would one explain these research findings of the 2023 World Happiness Index?
Gujarat, which is considered a traditional belt in the country, fared the worst among the Indian states in the 2023 World Happiness Index.
Kangana’s message ought to have been on these lines: Seeking professional health is crucial irrespective of whether you’re from a traditional or broken family.
3. Kapil Dev
For someone who I always thought was reasonable, Kapil Dev’s views on mental health are shockingly deaf-toned.
“These are American words–pressure, depression. I don’t understand all this. I am a farmer who enjoyed playing. If you enjoy, how can there be pressure?
This is the same argument people use to dismiss feminism because it’s believed to be a western ploy.
The truth is, women’s rights are as universal as mental health. I don’t understand what’s so American about these universal issues?
Kapil Dev’s thoughts on mental health are untrue, as we’ve seen many people passionate about their work succumb to depression, substance abuse, and, unfortunately, even suicide.
The solution to mental health problems is not a one-solution-fits-all, and it’s certainly not as simple as being passionate about work.
Dev further calls out the current generation for their privilege, calling them “fortunate”. He recalled an incident where he visited a school and found their grade 10 and 12 students mentioning their anxiety and pressure. He rued how these students could say they were under pressure when they’re studying in air-conditioned schools, their parents pay their fees, the teachers cannot indulge in corporal punishment.
I humbly disagree with the great Kapil Dev here. As a parent, I’m aware of how our youth are struggling with mental health. Our kids are suffering and not okay. While they seem to have it all on the surface, the truth is our children live in a toxic world unlike the one we grew up in. Just because their struggles don’t look like ours doesn’t mean their problems don’t exist. The least we can do as adults is to listen to our children and understand the anxieties that they battle with every day.
Mental health affects everyone, including those born with privilege. Speaking up about mental health requires a lot of courage and the more our youth open up about it, the better for them, us and our world. Making a mockery of their mental health struggles is not just disrespectful and non-empathetic, but also dangerous. Our dismissive stance can enforce bias that can deter victims from seeking timely professional help.
We’ve failed to give our children a better world, and it’s getting increasingly challenging to thrive in an overstimulated digital world. Instead of blaming our youth for being entitled and delusional about their mental health issues, maybe it’s time for our generation and the previous ones to reflect upon and understand our role in the damage we’ve created in the world and turn into a better leaf. Are you listening, Mr. Kapil Dev?
4. Ranbir Kapoor
With Ranbir Kapoor, how can one forget his so-called joke about Anushka Sharma’s mental health? In a response to the ‘quirky’ traits of Anushka during the ‘Ae Dil Ae Mushkil’ promotions, Ranbir said,
“Anushka is the anxiety queen. She takes anti-anxiety pills even if she has to have a conversation because she is frantic. She has a medical problem, and she has a mental problem also, and a hygiene problem. But we accept her. She’s precious.”
Even though Ranbir and Anushka share a great bond, it still doesn’t excuse his condescending words when there’s so much stigma around mental health.
Another instance is when Ranbir Kapoor cracked a body shaming joke on a pregnant Alia Bhatt. Surely when he’d been a steady boyfriend for five years, and now husband, he must have known about Alia’s past issues with body image and her anxiety about it.
In her interview with Barkha Dutt, Alia shared, “I do therapy once a week and in four sessions in three months, I’m talking about body image issues.”
Thankfully, Alia’s stance has changed for the better as she’s more body positive today post motherhood.
“One of the things I was so surprised by was how miraculous the human body is. How it supports you, takes care of you and what it’s capable of doing. It’s so beautiful and also, so much work.
When I was younger, I was a bit critical of my body, but this is what I’d tell my younger self: you have years ahead of you. Don’t worry about the way your body looks.”
Today, Alia exercises not to lose weight as in the past, but to stay healthy.
5. The Bhatt brothers
The Bhatt brothers, Mahesh and Mukesh are infamous for being the quack mental health experts in Bollywood. These two brothers have made irresponsible remarks and diagnosed everyone’s mental health disorders from the late Parveen Babi to Vinod Khanna to Jiah Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput.
This is an extremely dangerous trend for many reasons. One, you cannot label anyone with a mental health condition when they are no longer alive to defend it. Two, because you’re not a qualified mental health expert. Three, their respective families have refuted all their whacky, irresponsible and damaging words with no proof. Four is an even more sinister reason with allegations of this duo being responsible for their deteriorating health.
Rabia Amin, Jiah Khan’s mother, narrated a horrifying incident at her daughter’s funeral when Mahesh Bhatt came up to her and said Jiah was depressed. She replied, “Excuse me sir. She was never depressed.” To which, Mahesh Bhatt’s chilling response was, “Tum chup ho jaao varna tumhe bhi injection deke sula dege.”
We expect better role-models in our celebrities
We expect little from celebrities. Is asking for the bare minimum values such as kindness and empathy around mental health too much to ask from our celebrities? Surely not, I think!
What’s your take? I’d love to know.