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Manoj Bajpayee admits having ‘flashes of anxiety’; reveals overcoming it ‘like a hungry tiger’
Manoj Bajpayee recently opened up about battling with anxiety and depression. The actor also revealed how he overcame it and helped his friends deal with the tough time.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to anxiety and depression.
Manoj Bajpayee has been associated with the Indian film industry since he played a dacoit in the 1994 movie Bandit Queen. The actor, who has often spoken his mind about the issues he faced in Bollywood, recently admitted having ‘flashes of anxiety.’ However, he also admitted that he doesn’t let that feeling ruin his day. In fact, he faces it head-on and works harder on days when he feels low.
During an interview with News 18, the Killer Soup actor mentioned that even though he has experienced anxiety, he has been blessed with a different mettle to overcome it. Sharing what he does when he doesn’t feel his best, Manoj Bajpayee stated that this is when he is aggressively trying to get back. Talking more about himself, the senior actor revealed that he is not among those who would sit in their rooms, feel anxious, and not do anything.
But he fights it out “like a hungry tiger.” Whenever he feels down and even a little bit depressed, he starts working very hard and pushes harder to be the best version of himself. The Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai also tried to help the people around him dealing with this mental condition by shocking them. The veteran Bollywood actor behaves in a way where they can have a meltdown so that they can take it out on him.
According to Bajpayee, that is the best way to provoke someone. One would think of comforting and hugging those dealing with anxiety, but Manoj thinks that if we keep caressing them, they might just sink deeper. This is precisely why he shocks them out of their wits so that they can show their actual emotions. “This is one instrument I used to apply when conducting workshops with actors,” Manoj Bajpayee recalled.
He also exclaimed that when his friends were going through tough times, she would drag them out for a cinema or a drink, or if nothing worked, he would shock them. The National Award-winning actor would make them cry, shout, abuse him, or do whatever it took to get them to express themselves. Stating his reason behind this, he divulged that the more they go down, the worse it will be. Therefore, it is better that they come out that they express themselves, and that is key.
This isn’t the first time an actor has opened up about dealing with anxiety. During an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Fardeen Khan also spoke about battling depression. The Heeramandi actor went back in time and recalled going through a rough patch. He told us that there are days when he goes into a shell.
Labeling depression ‘a natural process’, Khan stated that everyone goes through it. He added, “We have to safeguard ourselves from this desire to always want to be happy. If there are things that are depressing you, it is actually a signal for you to think about something that is unfulfilled in your life. There’s something that you are not aligned with; there’s something not in sync.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, Manoj Bajpayee was last seen in the OTT film Bhaiyya Ji, while Fardeen Khan was part of Khel Khel Mein.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts, anxiety, going through depression, or suffering from a serious mental illness, reach out to a nearby doctor, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help. There are several helplines available for the same.
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