As surprising as it may sound, Bollywood celebrities suffer from mental illnesses too. Yes, they are not exempt, just because they are rich and famous. Popularity has a price to pay, and a huge one at that. However, It is not common that Bollywood celebrities come out in the open and talk about their conditions.
Let us take a look at some of these celebrities:
1. Manisha Koirala: The Nepalese actress suffered from clinical depression while she was married to her former husband Samrat Dahlal. Matrimonial friction and constant fights were the cause. But she did not keep it under wraps. She declared on social media, about her mental state and was open to have suggestions on how to tackle her state of mind. As a result, today, post cancer and divorce, the actress is in good mental health, and inspiration to all her fans.
2. Sanjay Dutt: Surrounded by controversies, Sanjay Dutt has faced more troubles than most actors in Bollywood. After he lost his mother and wife due to cancer, followed by allegations of his involvement in the ’93 Mumbai blasts, he revealed that his imprisonment caused him to become clinically depressed. He also had severe insomnia as a result of his depression.
3. Shah Rukh Khan: Shah Rukh Khan went into depression, post his shoulder surgery. The actor tore a ligament in his shoulder while shooting in 2008 and the injury and suffering plummeted him into deep depression.
4. Parveen Babi: Parveen Babi defined modern dressing in an entirely new approach, for Hindi films. But, the late actress suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. She quit films and went to the U.S. to join an ashram and clear her head; but sadly that never happened. Schizophrenia had the better of her. She ended her life in 2005.
5. Deepika Padukone: She was the first A-lister to come out in the open and declare her mental illness to everyone. She was apparently suffering from a bout of depression in early 2014. While the reason for the same is still unknown, the actress took upon herself to take up the cause and she victoriously decided to support those suffering from anxiety, panic attacks and depression, and took it as a part of her health initiatives.
6. Amitabh Bachchan: Amitabh Bachchan has also been a victim of depression. The actor turned producer in 1996 with his company ABCL. Following back-to-back failure of his films, Amitabh went bankrupt and got into deep depression. However, the megastar recollected himself and revived his acting career and became who he is today.
8. Rajesh Khanna: India's first superstar Rajesh Khanna's rise to fame story is quite renowned. But the actor's downfall is no less dramatic. He went into depression following his downfall in the 90s, and never actually recovered from it. A failed marriage also contributed in his physical and mental illness, that led to his death at the age of 69.
9. Jiah Khan: Jiah Khan suffered from loneliness and depression not just because of her issues with her boyfriend, but also because of her family. Her father disowned her when she chose to come to Mumbai and make it big in Bollywood. In spite of her slowly climbing up the success ladder, she couldn’t handle the amount of stress that she was undergoing, and succumbed to depression, resulting in a horrifying suicide.
10. Dilip Kumar: One of the most revered actors of Bollywood, Dilip Kumar was deeply in love with his Mughal-e-Azam co-actress Madhubala, but for some reasons the two couldn't be together. After the death of Madhubala he went into depression, although he was married to Saira Banu.