Spoken for to break taboos

We live in times where talking about personal issues or saying, “I am depressed,” or “I was abused,” is the way forward to create awareness. While such statements are eye catchers for headlines, with celebrities jumping on the awareness bandwagon,  they seem to make a positive appeal as survivors.

Leading actresses like Anushka Sharma, Ileana D’cruz, Sonam Kapoor and others have been vocal about the challenges, and even explained them in detail to give a human face to suffering.

It resonates with people on a personal level while giving a startling insight into their world. In a recent brand endorsement, Ileana D’cruz revealed how she was a shy teenager wanting to be accepted, and never really understood that she was going through anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia issues, that too at the start of her film career. The positive note here is that she could accept it and move forward.

In a recent interview, Anushka Sharma  who has completed a decade in showbiz revealed that she has handled rejection since the age of 15 when she began as a model. She said there had been times when she was replaced, or people would use politically correct statements like “The look isn’t right.” The actress rightly claimed that she prefers to have such things conveyed directly to her rather than being left confused.

The entertainment industry’s demands makes the journey  extremely challenging.  As youngsters, having self esteem issues, finding the strength to overcome them is even harder under the spotlight.

Actress Bhavana Ramanna says, “When you choose acting as a profession, there are several factors that come to the fore — facing rejection and being told that you are not good enough is upsetting. Since the industry is not just about you as  a person, a woman has to decide  how she should be treated or portrayed. When you are young, it is difficult to talk about it. Having a strong moral support system is important. When an experienced name from the industry talks about such issues, it creates awareness.”