Twitter reacts as Nawazuddin Siddiqui calls depression an ‘urban concept’: ‘Please stick to acting’

Nawazuddin Siddiqui recently said he leanrned about depression and other things after coming to the city. He called it an urban concept which comes with money.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui recently talked about depression and left Twitter users divided with his words. While his opinion has gone viral, a section of people expressed displeasure with it. The actor called depression an ‘urban concept, born out of privilege’.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be seen in Jogira Sara Ra Ra.

Nawazuddin hails from a small village in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh called Budhana. Talking about his village, he recently said that depression is more of a 'city thing'.' He said he got to know about mental health-related topics, such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, after coming to the city.

His words have sparked debate on social media. While some agreed with the actors, others urged Nawazuddin to not generalise such topics. Reacting to his thoughts, one Twitter user wrote, “Pls stick to acting. Don’t opine on subjects you know nothing about. If you are a human being, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder can affect you. Doesn’t matter where you live, what you do or who you are. Shameful to use the platform u have to spread falsehoods.”

“What a disappointing remark from @Nawazuddin_S #Depression isn't determined based on age, gender, background, profession, ethnicity or domicile. #MentalHealth conditions don't discriminate & neither should we. Such generalisation are dangerous, invalidating & misleading,” added another one. One more tweeted, “Nawazuddin Siddiqui says depression is an urban concept born out of privilege: ‘No one gets depression in villages’. Ok, let’s ignore farmer’s suicides and assume you are right. If something is an urban concept - do we just ignore it cause it’s urban?”

Someone else also wrote on the micro-blogging site, “On one hand @Nawazuddin_S says, when he told his father that he was feeling depressed, while claims it's an urban concept (not even his own gyaan, copy pasted)! Good in acting zero in common sense! Depression can be anywhere: science.”

Talking to Mashable India, Nawazuddin said depression is an alien concept for people living in villages. He said, "I come from a place where, if I would tell my father that I am feeling depressed, he would give me one tight slap… Depression waha nahi tha, kisi ko bhi nahi hota waha depression, sab khush hai (No one gets depression in villages, everyone is happy there). But I learnt about anxiety, depression, bipolar after coming to the city.”

“Ye shehro mein aake hoti hai, yaha pe har aadmi apne chhote emotions ko bhi bohot glorify karta hai (This is an urban concept, people in cities glorify their emotions)," he added. “If you ask a labourer, or someone who is sleeping on the footpath, then what is depression? When it rains, they dance even then, usko ghanta depression nahi pata hota (they don’t know what depression is). Jab aapke paas paise aajate hai toh iss tareeke ki beemariya aati jaati hai (You get such diseases when you have money),” he also said.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be next seen in Jogira Sara Ra Ra. He also has Haddi, Adbhut, Tiku Weds Sheru, Noorani Chehre and Bole Chudiyan in the pipeline.