Did Deepika call out Salman for calling depression a "luxury"?
Deepika Padukone, who in 2015 openly admitted to have suffered from depression, has been an active voice for the cause ever since. Recently in an interview, she called out "a male star," for his controversial comments about depression. It's not difficult to deduce that she was referring to Salman Khan, who in 2018, had said that he "cannot afford the luxury to be depressed."
Salman, last year in March, had said, "I see a lot of people going on vacations, but I cannot afford that luxury of taking a vacation." "I see a lot of people getting depressed and emotional, but I can't afford that luxury of being depressed or sad or emotional because no matter what I am going through, it works against me," he had said.
In her retort, the Chhapaak actress said, "People confuse it with being a bit sad. A male star said recently that he didn't have the luxury to be depressed. As if depression is a choice." Interestingly, this isn't the first time that Deepika took a dig at Salman over his statement. Earlier this year, she stated, "Depression is perceived as a luxury."
"When we were talking about more celebrities coming out, there's also a misconception that depression happens to people who're successful. People think that those who have too much time or money get into depression. I think it's very important to break that myth," Deepika highlighted.
During the recent interview with Vogue, Deepika again spoke at length about her battle against the mental health disorder, and said, "The word that best describes my experience of depression is a struggle." "Every second was a struggle. I felt exhausted the whole time. People confuse it (battling depression) with being a bit sad," the 33-year-old actress was quoted as saying.
People rarely have the courage to open up about one's weakness, lest they get judged by society. But Deepika has a different take on it. "I felt such relief afterwards. It was liberating (opening up about her depression phase), like a crushing weight had been lifted off me. I'd do it all over again. Also, it made me more aware of myself," she said.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika has two big projects in her hand. She is busy with Meghna Gulzar's Chhapaak (based on acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal) and Kabir Khan's '83 (opposite Ranveer Singh), which chronicles Indian cricket team's historic triumph in 1983 World Cup.
