Pakistani Actress Mahira Khan Opens Up About Battling DEPRESSION After Completing Shah Rukh Khan's 'Raees!' (Details Inside)
In a candid interview, Mahira Khan, the renowned Pakistani actor, has offered a glimpse into her battle with mental health, revealing her diagnosis of manic depression by a psychiatrist. The actress disclosed that her journey of confronting mental health challenges took a significant turn when she ventured into Bollywood with her role alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the movie 'Raees.' Her mental health journey was further complicated by the notorious 2017 incident where images of her smoking with fellow actor Ranbir Kapoor circulated online.
Reflecting on the turmoil caused by the 2016 Uri attack, which led to a ban on Pakistani actors in Bollywood, Mahira recounted the upheaval that followed. She shared, "I had finished the film (Raees) and everything was going fine and then suddenly this attack (Uri attack) happens. Politically everything gets messed. With India, it is always political. But the fact that it could get this messy! I was not scared, but I was threatened."
Mahira vividly described the aftermath of the backlash she faced, admitting it brought to the surface the anxiety and depression that she had been grappling with internally. The onslaught of negative comments and tweets, particularly from Indian channels, left her feeling attacked.
She confessed to enduring a panic attack and fainting, which eventually prompted her to seek therapy. However, her initial attempts at therapy were not successful, leading her to suffer sleeplessness and physical tremors. She then opened up about her ongoing struggle with clinical depression and her reliance on antidepressants for the past 6-7 years.
The actress further revealed her numerous hospital visits and emphasized that clinical depression is a real and serious mental illness that requires attention, much like any physical ailment. This open and honest dialogue about her mental health journey is Mahira Khan's first public acknowledgement of the extent of her medical treatment, which she hopes will inspire others to address their mental health struggles more openly.
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