EVERYONE IS FIGHTING THEIR OWN BATTLE IN SOME WAY OR OTHER, AVERS MOU DAS

Jyothi Venkatesh

Sushant Singh Rajput's death has made people question why the industry was not there for him or why his talent was not recognized enough or why he was left out. The actor was said to be suffering from depression and thus his death led to this new debate among the fans. However, producer Mou Das who is more often in the limelight these days thanks to her PR person Prashant Golecha, feels it's not fair to blame the entire industry for what happens with an individual because everyone is fighting their own battle. She feels that instead of pointing fingers people should come together to create awareness about mental health.

  "It is really unfair to blame the entire industry for every industry has its own light and darkness. People work very hard to reach that level they have reached or they want to reach. There are loads and loads of sacrifices and dedication from all the technicians and professionals in the glamour industry and especially from the artists," she said.

"It's easier to say that everyone talks about disaster after it has happened but the truth is everyone is fighting their own battle in some way or other. Rather than pointing fingers, everyone must come together to create more and more awareness and centers where people can find help in case of any such cases but this practice in our industry how much successful will it be is a question," Mou adds. Mou also spoke about the fact that mental health and depression are still considered a social stigma and said, "According to the Canadian sociologist Erving Goffman, the term ‘stigma’ describes the ‘situation of the individual who is disqualified from full social acceptance’.There is a very strong reason why depression slips away between the cracks and before you know it takes out the victim. Our society has not been very welcoming and accepting of mental illnesses."

"The fact that many who suffer from depression ignore it and are in denial as this is considered to be a sign of weakness where a person is not in control of his/ herself and had no command on the emotions. This stigma had got many people to silently suffer the dreadful disease and often undiagnosed," she added. She feels that there needs to be a huge campaign in awareness of mental illness and people should be made aware of the fallouts if it goes unnoticed. "It's time we look at this very seriously and try and eradicate the social stigma around depression and mental health.

The communication has to be loud and clear that it is alright to be diagnosed with depression and it is really just another disease which can be cured with proper care and attention. We have reached a level where it can no longer be brushed under the carpet. Mental health should be treated with a lot of care as many a times depression is embedded so deep inside a person that it is easier to be smiling and be chirpier from the outside and one wouldn't know what is going on inside their minds," Mou concludes.