'Everything Was Taboo': Deepika Padukone On Speaking About Her Mental Health

Deepika Padukone opens up about feeling 'lost' during 'Om Shanti Om' filming.

Deepika Padukone is a strong supporter of mental health awareness.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram/Elle India)

Deepika Padukone in a recent interview opened up about her experience working in her debut film Om Shanti Om. The film catapulted her into stardom and she went on to star in many more successful films in the Bollywood film industry.

Starring Shah Rukh Khan and directed by Farhan Akhtar the film created a lot of buzz in the industry at the time of it's release.

Deepika Padukone told a leading Hollywood publication Deadline, “It really began with my personal journey about a decade ago and when I went through my own experience with anxiety and depression, I just remember that everything was so taboo and hush-hush and it made me wonder why we went about it like that.

“That’s what’s really prompted me to come out and speak about my own experience and normalize it," she added.

She also spoke about her first film, “I remember thinking, ‘Why would they put so much money into such a big movie for such a big superstar and then cast me opposite without even an audition?’"

“When I think back, I think of myself as so young and naïve and lost but at the same time, I felt so protected and I really couldn’t have asked for a better debut, because they protected me and they didn’t need to,” she added.

She also spoke about how they helped after the film was released, “They made sure that I emoted well and that I said my dialogue well, and made me feel included and comfortable. And then when we started promoting the movie, they really propped me up and put me out there and my life changed overnight.”

Deepika also starred in Cocktail, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and Chennai Express. She is currently looking to promote her film Kalki.