Is there anything Deepika Padukone can’t do? Deepika is a superstar in every accord and has worked her way to the top. She became a household name with Om Shanti Om but the following few releases were a miss. But she turned things around and came back with a bang with Cocktail and went on to become one of the most bankable stars in the country. And if her contribution to Bollywood wasn’t enough, Deepika went on to star in the Hollywood film XXX: Return of Xander Cage and become a global icon.
While she has a very interesting lineup of films, Deepika has been conferred with TIME100 Impact Award. She has gone on to join the lines of some of the world’s leading scientists, politicians, activists, and artists. Deepika joined names like Sarah Al Amiri, U.A.E. Minister of State for Advanced Technology; Ellie Goulding, singer-songwriter and activist; Huda Kattan, entrepreneur and founder, Huda Beauty; and will.i.am, musician and entrepreneur.
But Deepika isn’t being lauded for her outstanding contribution to cinema but for her commitment towards mental health advocacy. Deepika reacted to the news by sharing it on the gram and wrote, “Pretty decent start to a Monday morning I would think… #Gratitude”
Deepika was diagnosed with depression and not only went on to battle it, but broke all stereotypes by speaking about it and has constantly been advocating the importance of mental health ever since. She also launched the Live Love Laugh foundation that works towards raising awareness and destigmatise mental health struggles.
The article went on to describe Deepika’s choices and state, ” Those choices are hardly a surprise: Mental health has become somewhat of a calling for Padukone, who first spoke openly in 2015 about wrestling with depression. In an interaction with the magazine, Deepika spoke about the importance of mental health. She said, “I had such a deep experience with mental illness. Not talking about it felt dishonest.”
On the work front, Deepika was last seen in Gehraiyaan and her performance was lauded by critics and fans. She will next be seen in Pathaan with Shah Rukh Khan, Fighter with Hrithik Roshan, Project K with Prabhas, The Intern Remake with Amitabh Bachchan. Deepika is also working on re-telling the story of Mahabharata from Draupadi’s perspective.
Congratulations Deepika Padukone!
