Sidhartha Mallya on Deepika Padukone, father Vijay Mallya: Hurts to see a loved one suffering

Actor-socialite-turned-author Sidhartha Mallya, who is currently on a virtual promotional tour for his memoir 'If I'm Honest', has talked in great detail about his own struggles with mental health issues and how he has been dealing with the same since 2015-16.

In a recent interview with a leading daily, Mallya talked about his rumoured ex-girlfriend Deepika Padukone--who has suffered from depression in the past--and the commendable work she has done in spreading awareness about mental health.

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Mallya told a daily in his interview with them, stating, "I think it’s amazing the work that she and everybody else do in India. There are just not enough people who talk about mental health. The fact that people like her use their platforms to promote mental health is very inspiring, and I think that the more people we can get to talk about mental health--whether it's writing books, celebs or just grassroots level or teachers talking about it in school to children or families talking about it--better for everyone."

"For me, my journey with mental health started in 2015-16. As I have said in the book, I was really unaware of a lot of the things that I was going through before then. So mental health was not really something that we talked about; it wasn't really a conversation I was having with anyone," he said when asked about whether he had ever talked about his mental health struggles with the star.

Deepika Padukone has started her own non-governmental organisation, Live Love Laugh Foundation, to encourage discussions around mental health and also help those in need.

During a recent Kaun Banega Crorepati episode, Deepika talked about depression with host Amitabh Bachchan. "Sir, in 2014, I had depression. I subsequently set up a mental health organisation, through which we try to de-stigmatise mental illness and create awareness about mental health… I didn't feel like going to work, I didn't feel like meeting anybody. I didn't go out. I didn't feel like doing anything. Many times, and I don't know if I should say this, but I didn't feel like living anymore."

As for his former business tycoon father Vijay Mallya, he says that it is painful to see a loved one suffering. "I think that when you read anything on anyone you care about--a parent, friend, or sibling--and not even read about it, as humans we don't like to see people we care about, suffering. Regardless of what the suffering is, it’s inconsequential. Whether he is being accused or not accused is inconsequential. The fact that you know someone is suffering, does hurt. Again, I write in the book that, 'Everyone is entitled to an opinion'. I think opinions are great in life. I think discourse and discussion are very important, but you should have facts to make opinions. A lot of the time someone's opinion is not an opinion, it’s just a vindictive attack. And then they are not even open to having a discussion. You must have an opinion and be open to having your mind changed or to look at things from a different perspective which you are unaware of."