Deepika Padukone shares mental health helplines; says she, her family are also ‘striving to stay afloat’ amid pandemic

Deepika Padukone, who has been vocal about the seriousness of mental health issues and her own battle with depression, reiterated the importance of emotional well-being in the current situation. Healthcare services are buckling as India battles a deadly second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, with thousands scrambling for hospital beds, oxygen supplies and life-saving medicines.

Taking to Instagram, Deepika shared a list of mental health helpline numbers and assured fans that they are ‘not alone’. She wrote, “As millions of us (me and my family included) strive to stay afloat, let us not forget that our emotional well-being in this current crisis, is equally important! Remember, You Are Not Alone. We are in this together.And most importantly, there is HOPE! #YouAreNotAlone @tlllfoundation.”

Many fans applauded her gesture and dropped heart emojis on the post. “I’m proud of you,” one commented. “Thank you for sharing this…love you so much and I hope ur staying safe,” another wrote. “Nice work keep it up,” a third said.

Last year, Deepika and her husband Ranveer Singh contributed an undisclosed amount to the PM-CARES (Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) fund for Covid-19 relief. “In times like these, every bit counts. We humbly pledge to contribute to the PM-CARES FUND and hope that you will too. We’re all in this together, and we shall overcome. Jai Hind. Deepika and Ranveer,” they had written in their social media posts.

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Ranveer and Deepika will be seen together in Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83, in which he will play former cricketer Kapil Dev, while she will play his wife Romi. While the film is slated for a theatrical release on June 4, it could be delayed due to the pandemic.

Deepika also has a number of other projects in the pipeline, including Pathan, which will mark Shah Rukh Khan’s acting comeback; Fighter with Hrithik Roshan; a cinematic adaptation of the Mahabharata, in which she will play Draupadi; the Hindi remake of The Intern with Amitabh Bachchan; Nag Ashwin’s next with Prabhas; and Shakun Batra’s next, which also stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday.