Breaking Taboos: Deepika Padukone Named India’s First Mental Health Ambassador

MUMBAI — Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone has been appointed as India’s first Mental Health Ambassador by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, marking a milestone in the nation’s growing focus on mental well-being. The announcement came on October 10, World Mental Health Day.

Sharing the news on social media, Deepika posted a photo with Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda and senior official Punya Salila Srivastava. Her husband, actor Ranveer Singh, responded with a heartfelt comment: “So proud of you,” followed by a heart emoji.

In her caption, Deepika expressed gratitude and responsibility. “On World Mental Health Day, I am deeply honored to be appointed as the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s first-ever Mental Health Ambassador,” she wrote.

She went on to acknowledge the government’s initiatives, saying, “Led by our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our nation has taken meaningful steps to place mental health at the heart of public health.”

Reflecting on her personal connection to the cause, she added, “Through my own journey and the work we have done over the past decade, I have seen how much is possible when we come together to build a mentally healthy India.”

Deepika concluded with a message of commitment: “I look forward to working under the guidance of Shri J. P. Nadda to strengthen India’s mental health framework further.”

The actress’s appointment comes nearly a decade after she first opened up about her own battle with depression—an act that helped break long-standing taboos around mental health in Indian society and Bollywood.

Now a new mother, Deepika continues to balance her advocacy with a thriving film career. She will next be seen alongside Shah Rukh Khan in ‘King’ and in an upcoming Allu Arjun–Atlee collaboration. (IANS)