Reach out to young actors through counselling

This picture has been used for representational purposes

It is suicide alert as the financial crunch leading to depression is a very real factor in this pandemic.

While there are so many who have lost jobs, and there is a tremendous financial burden on people, care must be taken that people do not break in these situations. Every circumstance is different, but there are those who are more mentally fragile than others, they tend to take defeat harder than others.

A young actor Preksha Mehta died by suicide recently, allegedly suffering from depression because of lack of work. Earlier, TV actor Manmeet Grewal died by suicide, allegedly brought on by the supposed bleak times we are going through. This shows us once again, that we need to stress on mental health during the pandemic. The biggies of the entertainment industry can start an online support and guidance series, that can help the novice tide over tough times.

The industry leaves you extremely vulnerable. The nature of the work, which has good rewards but is extremely uncertain, makes it very challenging for youngsters seeking their big acting break in this city.

Many of them live alone, they have rents to pay, little emotional support and few friends or family initially at least, in a hard and unforgiving city.

The television and film industry has started touching upon unconventional scripts and narratives. Today, our entertainment industry showcases so-called taboo topics with verve. It has its pulse on the contemporary scenario, and so-called parallel cinema has become the norm.

It is time to look inwards, recognise and acknowledge that there is mental fragility because of the nature of the work but also that this crisis has compounded the anxiety, bringing some to the edge of the abyss. Counselling helplines, the way sports teams have psychologists, may be the need of the hour.

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