Deepika Padukone

MUMBAI: In “Happy New Year,” Deepika Padukone’s most recent blockbuster, she turned in a trademark confident, magnetic dance performance, so it was surprising Thursday when the Hindustan Times published an account by Padukone detailing her struggles with depression and anxiety. In fact, she revealed that she was dealing with it during the same period when she was filming the Diwali heist comedy.

“Every morning it was a struggle to wake up and shoot for ‘Happy New Year’s’ climax,” she said. “Finally, I had a word with Anna aunty. She flew to Mumbai from Bengaluru, and I talked my heart out to her. She concluded that I was suffering from anxiety and depression.”

It wasn’t the first time Padukone, 29, addressed mental illness. “When you look at a person, any person, everyone has a story,” Padukone said in a series of tweets on Dec. 31. “Everyone has gone through something that has changed their life. Anxiety, Depression and Panic Attacks are not signs of weakness. They are signs of trying to remain strong for way too long. I dedicate this year to supporting Mental Health Awareness. #youarenotalone.”

But this was the first time Padukone has discussed her own trials in such detail. Padukone said that saw a psychologist who treated her depression with therapy and anti-depressants, though initially she resisted pharmacological treatment. After “Happy New Year” wrapped, she took a two-month break before starting work on her next film, only to learn that a friend suffering from anxiety and depression committed suicide.

Padukone said that’s what spurred her to speak publicly.

“The most common reaction is, ‘How can you be depressed? You have everything going for you. You are the supposed No. 1 heroine and have a plush home, car, movies … What else do you want?’ It’s not about what you have or don’t have,” Padukone said. “People talk about physical fitness, but mental health is equally important. I see people suffering, and their families feel a sense of shame about it, which doesn’t help. One needs support and understanding.”

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