Deepika Padukone Recalls Battling Depression: "Everything Was So Taboo And Hush-Hush"

On the professional front, Deepika Padukone will be next seen in Kalki 2898 AD

Deepika Padukone wears many hats – an actress, producer, and entrepreneur. She is also known for openly talking about her battle with depression. Recently, the actress spoke about mental health and her non-profit organisation, the Live Love Laugh Foundation, which is dedicated to anxiety, depression, and mental well-being. In an interview with Deadline, Deepika shared, “It really began with my personal journey about a decade ago and when I went through my own experience with anxiety and depression, I just remember that everything was so taboo and hush-hush and it made me wonder why we went about it like that. That's what's really prompted me to come out and speak about my own experience and normalise it.” Deepika and Ranveer Singh are all set to welcome their first child in September. 

Deepika Padukone first talked about facing depression during an interview with NDTV in 2015. She had said, “I woke up one morning just feeling empty, you know like this pittish feeling in my stomach that I was telling them (Deepika's parents - Prakash Padukone and Ujjala Padukone)  that I get this pittish feeling in my stomach. I woke up like feeling directionless, I didn't know where to go, I didn't know what to do and I had these bouts of feeling so low that I would just start crying at the drop of the hat and luckily at that time you know they'd come and they come every few months spend some time with me and actually that was the day, I think a day or two after which they were leaving or something like that and they were getting ready to go to the airport at that time and usually I go and sit with them in the room before they leave.” 

Deepika Padukone continued, “I started crying, so she (Ujjala Padukone) said, 'Are you okay?' Because it's always tough to leave family, you know I have been working from the time I was 18 and it's difficult, every time I go to Bangalore or I have to leave or they come to Bombay so it's tough. So, she thought maybe it is one of those things like don't worry we will be back soon sort of things and I kept crying and kept crying. I think she could sort of sense that something was wrong, she asked me if it had something  to do with my personal life or is it your work or has someone said something to you and it was none of these reasons and she sort of sensed that something was wrong and I think she changed her ticket and then she told my dad, she said that you carry on because we have a younger sister (Anisha Padukone) also, who they have to take care of.” 

“I would board a flight and land somewhere I remember attending a conclave exactly this year, last time when that was the first initial days and I cried in my room and then I had to go and talk in front of so many people with a smile on my face like everything is okay and that entire session was about being number one. I was sitting in my room crying and then here I have to talk about achieving everything and then I have to fly back and then I would land and then again I had to lock myself up in the bathroom and cry because there are so many people that are just looking at you all the time,” Deepika Padukone added while talking about her feelings. Click here to read the full interview.