Deepika Padukone is on a mission to make the world a better place.
After standing in solidarity with students of New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who were protesting after masked assailants wielding batons and iron rods attacked the university leaving more than two dozen injured, she delivered a powerful speech on mental health at the the World Economic Forum in Davos. The actor received the Crystal Award at the annual event for her work on spreading awareness about mental health.
The actor spoke about her mental illness journey at the event saying she had a love-hate relationship with it, and highlighted that depression and anxiety were common illnesses that could be treated.
“My love and hate relationship with this has taught me a lot and I want to tell everyone suffering from this that you are not alone.”
“Depression is a common, yet serious illness. It is important to understand that anxiety and depression is like any other illness and treatable. It was experience with this illness that encouraged me to set up Live Love Laugh,” she said, while speaking about her foundation. Deepika was diagnosed with depression in 2014.
Highlighting the impact mental illnesses have people and on the economy, she said, “One trillion dollars is the estimated impact of depression and mental illness on the world economy. In the time it has taken me to accept this award, the world has lost one more person to suicide”.
Padukone, who received the award on Martin Luther King Jr Day, also quoted the civil rights activist in her acceptance speech.
“For in the words of Martin Luther King, everything that is done in this world is done with hope,” she said.
Padukone started voicing her opinion on the importance of mental health through her foundation The Live Love Laugh Foundation in June 2015.
Through the program, the actor launches nationwide awareness as well as destigmatisation campaigns. The foundation raises awareness about adolescent mental health disorders and organises training sessions, research and lecture series that feature some of the best known thinkers and achievers.
Padukone was last seen in biographical drama Chhapaak, which she also produced. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the movie is based on real-life acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, who was attacked in 2005 at the age of 15.
