As the COVID-19 pandemic brought the production of over dozens of movies, TV shows, and ad films to a screeching halt in late March, the fear of unemployment, financial anxiety, and the prospect of uncertainty about future work gnawed at the minds of many individuals working in the respective industries. The set makers, spot boys, and daily wage earners were the first ones to face up realities, even as most celebrities actively peddled videos of dance routines, exercise, and cooking on social media, and presented a curated version of their lockdown life online.
Their seemingly perfect posts, however, suddenly gave away the ugly realities and struggles of the so-called celebrity life, when a 25-year-old TV actress, Preksha Mehta left behind a heart-wrenching note on her Instagram Story right before ending her life. "The worst thing is when the dreams die," she wrote. Mehta's death came on the heels of another actor, Manmeet Grewal's suicide in Mumbai, who reportedly took the extreme step because of financial issues.
In a heartbreaking video posted online in June, Begusarai actor Rajesh Kareer implored his fans for monetary help, so that he could return to Punjab and seek new employment. In the same month, TV actor Shardool Kunal packed his bags and left for his hometown after he could not support himself without any income in the city of dreams.
“I was shooting 'Fallen' with Reema Kagti when the lockdown happened, so there was and still is insecurity that if this project gets canceled, I'll be out of work," says actor Gulshan Devaiah, before adding, "I've been in projects where the plug was pulled just 10 days before the shoot. Sometimes, they even ask you to return the payment. It's all very insecure.”
The fear of financial instability, coupled with the restrained socialising amplified many people's anxiety during the pandemic, says Delhi-based psychologist Dr. Manish Jain. "However, the fundamental difference between normal people and celebrities when they face financial trouble is that, while normal people can tone down on their expenditure and can afford to not worry about their 'status', for celebrities, it is a very difficult task," he says.
And then came the news of Sushant Singh Rajput's death on June 14, 2020, which was initially declared to be a suicide. "The tipping point for many of my patients during the pandemic was Rajput's death," recalls Jain.
"During the lockdown, as it is many of these patients were unable to come in for follow-ups, and missed their medication, and there was also the additional pressure of not being able to go out, and hang out with their friends, which normally acts as a stress buster. At such a difficult time, the news of someone's death, especially someone they loved and revered, who appeared to be active, social, and a fitness freak hit many patients doubly hard," Jain adds.
A study shows that globally close to 8 lakh people die by suicide every year, which means one person dies every 40 seconds because of suicide. The digits are almost twice the number of homicide that happens each year. But, a celebrity death is always different, because it not only affects the family but also the public in general. The seismic wave of reports concerning Rajput's death, which was perceived as a suicide initially, traveled through the country in no time on June 14, and in the days that followed many young fans, unfortunately, emulated the actor's footsteps and took their own lives.
Two minor girls, one from Patna and the other from Port Blair died by suicide, after hearing about the actor's death. A 15-year-old boy also allegedly killed himself after he could not take the incessant bullying that he was subjected to because of his “feminine mannerisms.” His younger brother told the media, that a day before his death, he had said that if Rajput can take his own life, so can he.
Whether Rajput took his life or not is for the CBI to investigate, but the actor's death left a huge impact on those from his own industry too. "Sushant's death was such a tragedy and what I'm really doing right now is taking it very personally and looking into my life and reassessing all my moves, all my hustles and how I'm going to go about my career," says Devaiah.
"I may have to see a very dark day at some point but I want other options, assuming if it was a suicide. I'm very confident that I won't have to choose that option. But, you never know. One just has to be okay with failure and that's what I'm trying to deal with," he adds.
Having mental health issues like depression or bipolar disease doesn’t make anyone weak or a lunatic. It just makes them human, the psychologist concludes.
