Nawazuddin Siddiqui gave an interview to Mashable India, where his comments about mental illness have triggered a debate on social media. According to Indian Express, the actor was quoted as saying that mental illnesses like depression and anxiety only happened to privileged people because they tend to glorify their emotions.
The ‘Sacred Games’ actor revealed that while growing up, he would never have been able to tell his father that he was depressed or he would have been slapped:
“I come from a place where, if I would tell my father that I am feeling depressed, he would give me one tight slap… Depression waha nahi tha, kisi ko bhi nahi hota waha depression, sab khush hai. But I learnt about anxiety, depression, bipolar after coming to the city.”
“Ye shehro mein aake hoti hai, yaha pe har aadmi apne chhote emotions ko bhi bohot glorify karta hai.”
The actor, who faced a recent controversy after his ex-wife accused him of kicking her and their children out of their house, went on to say that it was working class people who never get depressed because they work hard and make the most out of their conditions, unlike rich people.
“If you ask a labourer, or someone who is sleeping on the footpath, what is depression. When it rains, they dance even then, usko gh***a depression nahi pata hota. Jab aapke paas paise aajate hai toh iss tareeke ki beemariya aati jaati hai.”
