Bollywood star Deepika Padukone is quite vocal about the depression phase of her life. Many a time she has talked about it in public. Padukone has not just spread awareness on this taboo topic but also launched the Live Love Laugh Foundation, which is aimed at helping people struggling with mental health.

Ahead of World Mental Health Day, Deepika is busy developing her mental health foundation’s rural community mental health program in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur. While doing the same, she got into a conversation with a leading daily where she shared how her mother, Ujjala Padukone, played a crucial role in making her come out of depression by identifying her symptoms. She also talked about the importance of a caregiver in such times.

The Chennai Express actress began by stating, “Even in my personal journey, the role of the caregiver has been extremely important that’s why my mother is here, that’s why my sister has been so passionately part of this cause for many years and when I hear the stories of the caregivers, I understand how equally important that is as well, and the emotional well-being of the caregiver is as important as the emotional well-being of the person experiencing mental illness.”

Deepika cannot even imagine about the state she would be in today had her mother not stepped in at the right time. “In my own case, for example, had my mother and the caregiver not identified my symptoms, in my moment of vulnerability, had she not had the presence of mind to tell me to or help me reach out to the professionals, I don’t know what state I would be in today. I think caregivers in general, whether it is mental illness or any other form of illness, it takes a toll on the caregiver,” she added.

On the professional front, Deepika Padukone has multiple projects in the pipeline. These include Pathan with Shah Rukh Khan, Fighter with Hrithik Roshan and Project K with Prabhas.