Shaan says he initially thought ‘why would Deepika Padukone go through depression’: ‘Didn’t understand enough’

Shaan said that back when Deepika Padukone first opened up about her battle with depression, he did not understand mental health enough and wondered why a ‘successful’ actor like her is going through lows.

Shaan talked about mental health in a new interview and said that he was ignorant at first. He said that when Deepika Padukone opened up about her battle with depression, he wondered what could possibly have caused it.

Shaan said that he initially did not understand why someone as successful as Deepika Padukone would be battling mental health issues.

Deepika was diagnosed with depression in 2014 and has been vocal about the need to destigmatise mental health issues. She also started the Live Love Laugh Foundation in 2015 to create awareness and provide credible resources.

On The Love Laugh Live Show hosted by Mandira Bedi, Shaan talked about how his understanding of mental health was limited initially. “Deepika has a foundation, Live Love Laugh. At that time, she spoke about mental health and clinical depression. The cynic in me, the stupid idiot in me at that point was like, ‘It’s Deepika Padukone, one of the most successful actors, she has had the most supportive parents, she started right up there… Why would she go through depression?’”

He added, “Obviously, I didn’t read enough or understand enough. When this happened much closer home and my wife Radhika was diagnosed with clinical depression, I took it personally until I realised it’s a chemical thing and medication is a vital part.”

Shaan touched upon the subject of clinical depression in his single, Tanha Dil 2.0, which came out in October. It was a reprised version of his hit song which released in 2000.

Also see | Shaan recalls not recognising Honey Singh at a party, leaving him ‘upset’: ‘I felt like an idiot’

In a statement given to PTI, Shaan said that through Tanha Dil 2.0, he wanted to raise awareness about mental health. “Coincidentally it’s happening 20 years after the first track. We have tried to deal with a delicate topic sensitively and I hope people, apart from enjoying the song, imbibe the message as well. Mental health is a long and hard condition to deal with but there always is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.