Deepika Padukone says people think she talked about depression 'to promote movie'

Pathaan star Deepika Padukone, who has always been vocal about depression, said that people think she talked about mental health in order to promote her film or a pharmaceutical brand.

As per the Hindustan Times report, Deepika stated, “For most of India, it felt like this huge burden lifted off their shoulders. That finally, someone acknowledged the fact that okay, there is such a thing as mental illness but with everything good that you do they’ll always be sort of that skepticism.”

she added, “So there were a bunch of people who felt that either I was doing this to promote a movie or they thought that I was being paid by a pharmaceutical company. And there were articles where they thought I was being paid by a pharmaceutical company and you know that I’m now going to start advertising for some sort of medication.”

Earlier, while speaking to NDTV, the actress recalled the depressing phase of her life and how she dealt with it. She stated, “Even in my personal journey, the role of the caregiver has been extremely important that’s why my mother is here, that’s why my sister has been so passionately part of this cause for many years and when I hear the stories of the caregivers, I understand how equally important that is as well, and the emotional well-being of the caregiver is as important as the emotional well-being of the person experiencing mental illness.”

She added, "In my own case for example, had my mother and the caregiver not identified my symptoms, in my moment of vulnerability, had she not had the presence of mind to tell me to or help me reach out to the professionals, I don’t know what state I would be in today. I think caregivers in general, whether it is mental illness or any other form of illness, it takes a toll on the caregiver."