How a friend’s death led Deepika Padukone to launch her Mental Health Foundation, reveals father
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "How a friend’s death led Deepika Padukone to launch her Mental Health Foundation, reveals father")
Picture of Deepika Padukone Photograph: (X)
Deepika Padukone’s father, Prakash Padukone, recently revealed that the actress’s decision to launch the Live Love Laugh Foundation was inspired by the death of a close friend shortly after she went public with her battle with depression in 2015.
In 2015, Deepika Padukone spoke publicly about her mental health for the first time, revealing her battle with depression. Since then, the actress has been one of the most vocal advocates for mental health awareness in India and has also launched her foundation, The Live Love Laugh Foundation.
Recently, her father and legendary badminton player Prakash Padukone opened up about his daughter's journey and the reason she decided to start the foundation.
Speaking on The Something Bigger Show with Rodrigo Canelas, he talked about his and his wife's decision to support their daughter when she decided to speak openly about her depression.
“We had no objection at all to her going public if it was helping others, because she was in a position where she could help people. I think she realised that, so she came out and spoke about it,'' he shared.
He further revealed that the loss of a close friend became a turning point in Deepika's journey as a mental health advocate. According to Prakash, the incident motivated her to create greater awareness around mental health issues.
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''Then, a few months later, one of her friends passed away, and that was when she decided that something should be done so that more and more people become aware. That’s when she started thinking about the foundation,” he added.
He also said, “That’s how the foundation started. I think it’s been about ten years now since she launched it, and I think it has made a huge difference in terms of awareness.”
Deepika on battling depression: I felt suicidal and wanted to end her life
Deepika has previously spoken candidly about her struggle with depression, revealing that she experienced suicidal thoughts during one of the most successful phases of her career.
“I transitioned from school to sports, then modeling, and eventually acting. I kept pushing myself until, in 2014, I suddenly fainted. It was only later that I realized I was struggling with depression. The thing about depression is that it’s invisible—you can’t always see it. There might be people around us battling anxiety or depression, yet we may never know because, on the outside, they seem happy and normal,” she shared.
How Deepika's mom helped in the battle with mental health
The Piku actress has also spoken about the crucial role her mother played in recognising the signs of depression when she herself could not understand what she was going through.
“When my mother came to see me in Mumbai, on the day she was leaving for Bangalore, I suddenly broke down. My family asked me all sorts of questions about my work, but all I could say was, ‘I don’t know. I just feel helpless and hopeless. Mujhe jeena hi nahi hai (I don’t want to live).’ Thankfully, my mother recognized the signs and suggested I see a psychologist. In our country, mental health carries a stigma, making it difficult to talk about. But as soon as I started speaking about it, I felt lighter. Anxiety, stress, and depression can affect anyone, and talking about it truly eases the burden.”
