Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a main character on social media again after speaking irresponsibly about mental health. The Sacred Games actor has prompted widespread criticism after saying in an interview that depression is an urban issue and that rural India doesn't suffer from mental illnesses; he went further, drawing an economic divide – pavement dwellers in a city don't struggle with depression either, Nawazuddin told Mashable India. He offered no data or anecdotal evidence and the actor's remarks have, unsurprisingly, triggered Twitter. There are any number of posts about what Nawazuddin said – a sample below.
A tweet pointed out that Nawazuddin Siddiqui's comment ignored the issue of farmer suicides and also that it appeared to trivialize mental health assuming that the actor was correct in describing it as an urban concept.
Filmmaker Lakshmi Iyer pointed out that Nawazuddin's comment highlighted the need for greater education on mental health.
Speaking to Mashable India, Nawazuddin said (translated from Hindi): "I come from a place where, if I were to tell me father that I'm feeling depressed, he would have slapped me and put me to work. Nobody gets depressed in the village, everybody is happy. I learnt about anxiety, depression, bipolar after coming to the city – all this happens in the city. Everyone here glorifies their emotions. When it rains, a labourer or pavement dweller dances – they don't know anything about depression. As you earn more money, you get these sort of illnesses as well."
Nawazuddin might not be entirely wrong about the pressure and isolation of city life being related to mental illness – what is problematic is his easy dismissal of mental health struggles, simplistic view of depression, and his generalization of rustic life.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, soon to be seen in Jogira Sara Ra Ra with Neha Sharma, is known for his work in films like Gangs Of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox, and Manto.