scorecardresearch
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeThePrint EssentialFrom Reham to Mahira, Pakistan is talking about mental health after Anthony...

From Reham to Mahira, Pakistan is talking about mental health after Anthony Bourdain’s death

Follow Us :
Text Size:

After Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade shocked the world by committing suicide last week, Pakistani celebrities took to Twitter attacking stereotypes & taboos surrounding mental depression.

Pakistan is taking seriously the advice dished out on social media and talking about depression. After Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade shocked the world by committing suicide last week, Pakistani celebrities took to Twitter.

Reham Khan, in wall-to-wall Pakistani coverage already albeit for totally different reasons which have to do with ex-husband Imran Khan, attacked the stereotypes and taboos surrounding mental health problems. Compassion and understanding, she said, were key to battle the condition of a suffering individual. Khan tweeted:

Actress Mahira Khan, a household name in India after she was paired with Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Raees’ said in a tweet that the lack of awareness on depression is itself a problem. She tweeted:

While the well-known singer Meesha Shafi pitched in with her view :

Pakistani model and socialite Freiha Altaf tweeted that more women than men were victims of depression. She tweeted:

The suicide of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has shocked the world . He was found in her hotel r in Paris while shooting for his CNN show ‘Parts Unknown’.

Earlier on June 6, New York-based fashion designer Kate Spade hung herself to death too at her apartment.

The two incidents have sparked a much needed conversation around depression and its effects on the internet. Like Deepika Padukone, Karan Johan and Ileana D’Cruz in India, who have come clean with their own struggles to stay afloat in glamorous Bollywood, Pakistani celebrities are now openly talking about the toll that depression takes in a conservative society like theirs.

Not long ago, singer Momina Musteshan had posted a video of her experience on her Instagram handle, and spoke about her own journey fighting the mental disorder.  “Everyone has struggles. I have had struggles. Depression isn’t a myth, it’s REAL”, the 25-year-old had written.

Earlier last year, Pakistani singer Nouman Javaid was admitted in the hospital due to a suspected gas leak in his house. Later, the singer in an interview revealed that he had once taken 59 sleeping pills in an attempt to end his life.

Deepika Padukone launched The Live Love Laugh Foundation – an initiative to spread mental health awareness – in October 2015, after she revealed that she had suffered from depression for three years.

Discussion around mental health issues is crucial in spreading awareness and breaking the stereotypes that exist around the problem. Enrollment of celebrity names into the cause offers legitimacy and at the same time draws more people into the discussions.

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular