On World Mental Health Day, Ali Merchant Opens Up On His Personal Fight With Depression

Ali Merchant has been the talk of the town lately, and for all the right reasons! The actor will soon be making his Bollywood debut as a lead actor in a film produced by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and he also revealed his relationship with model Andleeb Zaidi on Instagram a few days ago. Just like everyone else, Ali has had his share of ups and downs. This World Mental Health Day, he opens up on his experience battling depression, and also shares some ideas on how more awareness around mental health issues can be created.

While showbiz appears to be full of glitz and glamour, Ali shares that its uncertainty can also take its toll, he shares, "I have been through depression due to work, but I had no choice but to get out and work in another field, or we would be on the streets, and I couldn't see my parents being worried and sad due to me. Being psychologically and spiritually positive, having the unconditional love of my parents, pets, and meditation helped me a lot. The entertainment world must help by sharing their vulnerable sides on how they overcome mental health issues."

Ali emphasises the importance of seeking professional help when facing a mental health issue. "It's good to have the experts do their job in finding a solution which you might be unaware of, and it's taking your mental peace, depending if you need a therapist or a counsellor, as per the level of your mental health."

In an industry which gives high importance to image and perfection, Ali shares that there's beauty behind showing your vulnerable side, "All have just one fight in life, and that's their fight for identity, so let those people be but one thing for sure is that you only become close to someone if you share your vulnerable side, and that's when people would connect with the real you and not the image made."

Ask him about how we can move towards a world where mental health is given the same importance as physical health, and Ali shares some interesting ideas. He says, "I feel that the government should come up with a Happiness Minister, to handle such issues, and I request the government to do so. Kids in school and college can be given homework and examinations of learning, understanding, and recording inspirational quotes, at least 10 quotes a month, which will help them to be psychologically positive from a young age itself. Just imagine sitting with family and reciting the positive and inspirational quotes we read...it would feel good that this habit started since school days, and the outcome would be so beautiful."

While discussions around mental health have been increasing in recent years, it seems there is still a lot of work to be done. It is good to see Ali Merchant understanding this and also sharing ways in which mental health discussions and seeking help can become a norm.