From Debina Bonnerjee to Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia: Television celebs who were vocal about their battle with depression and other health issues

Nobody is immune to depression, and celebrities in the television industry are no different. The current increase in mental health awareness has aided many TV celebrities in openly discussing them. A few TV stars have bravely opened up about their battles with depression. Let’s take a look at some of the TV celebrities, who have openly discussed their health issues:

Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10's Paras Kalnawat has left the show. The young actor, who quit Anupamaa for the show, revealed that despite having spondylosis and a muscle tear in both the knees, he decided to continue. Paras stated that he proceeded with Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 because he wanted to have a successful journey on the show. Paras Kalnawat is best known for his role as Samar in Anupamaa.

Debina, who gave birth to her second baby on November 11, had revealed about facing problems with conceiving a child naturally. She had talked about it in her vlogs and revealed her entire process and all the problems she faced. A few months back, Debina revealed that she was pregnant with another child and called it a ‘miracle’. Debina further said, “I visited doctors, normal gynecologists, IVF specialists to find out what problem I had. I had endometriosis. For that to be treated, I did whatever possible treatments were available. I did acupuncture – it is a therapy where they will remove all the toxins from your body. For this I took allopathic medicine. I took the root of Ayurveda. In acupuncture, a needle is inserted in the ear – it’s called Chinese approach for fertility. It was like a routine for me. Every day morning 10am I would go. There I met so many females, who didn’t have a valid reason for conceiving. They were coming and getting themselves treated. It is all about the pressure in the head… the expectation to not do something certain…is deadly (sic)”

Chhavi Mittal was newly diagnosed with breast cancer recently. She went into surgery and is now an inspiration to people all over the world. Since the beginning of her breast cancer journey, the actress has been open about it, documenting her journey to help and motivate cancer survivors. She kept her fans up to date on her surgery, radiotherapy sessions, diet, and workout routine. Chhavi added, “The first time I noticed your magic was when you gave me immense pleasure.. but your importance peaked when you fed both my babies. Today, it’s my turn to stand by you when one of you fights cancer. Its not the best thing to happen, but it doesn’t have to bog my spirits down. It’s not going to be easy, but it doesn’t have to be tough. I might not look the same again, but it doesn’t have to make me feel different. A big cheer for all breast cancer survivors.. you have no idea how much inspiration I draw from you today. And also, for those of you who already know, thank you for being so supportive. Every call you make, every msg you send, every visit you pay me.. is appreciated no end and that’s all that makes a difference (sic)”

Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia of Choti Sardarni fame opened up about her battle with depression in a series of posts on social media this year. In a post, the actress, who once took a break from work to deal with her mental health issues, talked about beginning to feel empty, wanting to spend days in bed, battling it all, and going back to being herself. Nimrit later discussed the process in a discussion with BT, “I thought that it was due to some hormonal imbalance, so I consulted my gynaecologist. But it didn’t help me much and I also consulted a psychiatrist, who told me that I was completely exhausted and stressed. He advised me to take a break as my work was keeping me away from the balance that I needed in my life. On my doctor’s advice, I even got admitted to a hospital for two days. This eventually forced me to take a 40-day break from the show. And then, I came to Delhi to stay with my parents for the next few days.”

Rubina Dilaik, the winner of Bigg Boss 14 in one of the show's episodes, discussed dealing with anxiety and stress, suicidal thoughts, and temper issues. The Shakti actress spoke out about it all on national television, blaming these factors for her failed relationship. Rubina adds, “My relationships with my parents were not that great. I had temper issues, I had suicidal tendencies, relationship tootne ka bhi yahi reason tha (I was exactly like this, eight years ago. I had temper issues and also had suicidal tendencies. Problems in my relationship were also because of it) (sic)”

Karanvir Bohra, who last appeared in lock Upp, disclosed that his career has been suffering for the past seven years. He revealed that he has 3-4 debts and that he has some cases filed against him for not repaying them. He revealed that he had lost crores of rupees. He said, “From 2015 to now, whatever work I take up is only to return the money or pay back my debts. I feel so sorry for myself and for my family, what am I giving them. Agar meri jagah koi aur hota toh he would have committed suicide. If it would have not been for Teejay, mom, dad and my kids, I don't know what I would have done.”

Jankee Mehta, the wife of Bade Acche Lagte Hain 2 actor Nakuul Mehta, revealed what they went through when their baby boy Sufi tested positive for COVID-19. She shared the heartbreaking story on social media, explaining that the goal of sharing this fight was to raise awareness. She added, “I somewhere always knew that a virus like Covid will get to most of us sooner or later, but what actually went down last week was something I did not foresee. While most of you may know that my husband tested positive 2 weeks ago, i also got the symptoms a couple days later. I thought not attending my sister’s wedding was the worse that covid could do to me, not realising that what I was about to experience in the coming week were to be the hardest days of my life, yet. is fever finally broke after 3 days. Having to single handedly take care of Sufi 24/7 at the hospital felt exhausting. Little did I realise that a huge part of the fatigue & exhaustion was also because I was positive too." She thanked Sufi's nanny for entering inside the COVID ward to be with Sufi and said, "I will be forever grateful to my nanny who agreed to step in to the Covid ICU & take care of Sufi after the first two days as my body had almost given up. Our babies cannot wear masks or get vaccinated so we need to be all the more cautious as we are coming back home to them. The idea of sharing this fight has been to make sure I can extend this awareness, even if it’s to just 1 more parent.”

Sumona Chakravarti revealed last year about her fight with Endometriosis, which she has had since 2011. She revealed on social media that she has been in Stage 4 for a long time.She said, “Did a proper workout at home after ages...Some days I feel guilty, because boredom is a privilege. I may be unemployed & yet am able to feed my family & myself. That is a privilege. Sometimes I feel guilty. Especially when I am feeling low due to pms in. The mood swings play havoc emotionally. Something I've never shared before. I have been battling endometriosis since 2011. Been in stage IV for the past few years now. A good eating habit, exercise & most importantly no stress is key to my well being. The lockdown has been emotionally hard for me. Today I worked out. Felt good. Thought I'll share my feelings for whoever is reading this to understand that all that glitters is not gold. We are all struggling with something or the other in our lives. We all have our own battles to fight. We’re surrounded by loss, pain, grief, stress, and hatred. But all you need is LOVE, COMPASSION & KINDNESS. N then we’ll sail through this storm as well. P.S. sharing such a personal note wasn’t easy at all. It was way out of my comfort zone. But if this post can bring a smile or inspire in any way to even a handful of souls, then I guess it was all worth it."

Anupamaa actress Rupali Ganguly has a son named Rudransh, whom she describes as a "miracle". The actress stated that she wanted to be a mother but that it was difficult for her to conceive a child. She also disclosed that she suffered from thyroid problem, which had reduced her fertility count. She didn't take on many roles after giving birth because she was dealing with major weight problems.

Balika Vadhu celebrity Avika Gor had to deal with a lot of difficulties as a result of her weight problems. She finally agreed to motivate her followers by telling her story on social media after losing 18 kilos. She further stated, “I still remember one night last year, when I looked at myself in the mirror & I broke down. I didn't like what I saw. Big arms, legs, a well earned belly. I had let go too much. If it were due to an illness (Thyroid,PCOD, etc), it would be okay because that would be out of my control. But, it happened because I ate anything & everything, and I didn't workout at all. Our bodies deserve to be treated well, but I didn't respect it. As a result, I disliked the way I looked so much that I couldn't even completely enjoy dancing (which I love) without thinking "how I must look right now". I got so busy judging myself & feeling bad that I didn't leave any scope for outsiders to make me feel bad. Such insecurities run in the head all the time & they make us feel tired & irritated. Hence, I would often snap at my loved ones. Well, one fine day I decided that it was enough and that I must evolve. Nothing changed overnight. I just started to focus on the right things... things that I should be proud of(like dancing). I kept trying to eat better & working out, and I had various setbacks. But, it was important that I didn't stop. And my people were constantly there to guide me (sic)”

Naagin celebrity Jasmin Bhasin finally opened up about her difficult days in the industry, when she suffered from depression and even considered suicide. The reality star said that it was the lowest point in her life when she was struggling with rejection and losing confidence. Jasmin revealed that when there was nothing working for her, she considered suicide and attempted to overdose on medication to end her suffering.

After marrying Shalabh Dang, actress Kamya Panjabi finally opened up about her post-breakup depression with actor Karan Patel. The actress stated that it took her several counselling sessions to return to her normal life. Kamya also revealed that her battle with depression lasted nearly two and a half years and that she felt imprisoned during that time.

Devoleena Bhattacharjee, the actress from Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, was injured during Bigg Boss 15. She needed to have a nerve decompression surgery right away. After that, the actress needed to use a walker. She was injured in her L3 and L4 during Bigg Boss 13. The actress was detained for ten days in Nanavati.

Vahbiz Dorabjee revealed in 2015 that she suffered from hypothyroidism, a disorder that caused her to miss out on projects. She stated that she was not used to having regular blood tests, and her ailment was never diagnosed. She claimed she was sick for a year and had to miss work.