Deepika Padukone has never shied away from discussing depression and its debilitating effects. She never misses a chance to set the record straight about the many myths that circulate about the illness and mental health. This is the reason why her recent statement at an event is being seen as an attempt to set right a misconception that had been shared by Salman Khan not long ago…

In the course of an interview, Salman had maintained, “I see a lot of people going on vacations, but I cannot afford that luxury of taking a vacation. I see a lot of people getting depressed and emotional, but I can’t afford that luxury of being depressed or sad or emotional because no matter what I am going through, it works against me.”

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At a recent event, Deepika echoed exactly his words when she pointed out, “When we were talking about more celebrities coming out and speaking and when we were talking about stigma, there is a lot of miscommunication that depression happens to people who are successful. I want to clarify that it can happen to anybody from any field. There is a perception that it happens to big (popular) people who are successful. It is sometimes perceived as luxury... (But) It is important to break that myth.”

Deepika was in New Delhi along with her mother and younger sister to launch a report on Public Perception Towards Mental Health in India by her foundation The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF), which aims to reduce the stigma around mental health.

The actress, who had been diagnosed with depression a few years ago, added, “It is absolutely critical that we as a society work together towards increasing awareness, reducing stigma and normalizing the need to seek support for mental illness.”

We are sure Salman would agree!