logo
‘Wanted to hit my head on the wall': Shilpa Shirodkar on returning to India due to depression, be close to sister Namrata; emotional cost of buried grief

‘Wanted to hit my head on the wall': Shilpa Shirodkar on returning to India due to depression, be close to sister Namrata; emotional cost of buried grief

Indian Express3 days ago
Shilpa Shirodkar, one of Bollywood's most recognisable faces in the 1990s, recently reflected on battling depression and the powerful support system that helped her through it.
Having taken a 13-year hiatus from acting to raise her family in London, Shilpa eventually returned to India, not to reclaim her career, but to be closer to her sister, Namrata Shirodkar, following the devastating loss of both her parents.
'I didn't get films and I didn't try also. I didn't even try for television also. In fact, when I came back to India, I wasn't in a great mental state. I had lost my parents, and I was in really bad depression. And I actually came back to India to be next to my sister (Namrata Shirodkar). I had nothing on my mind about work,' she shared in a conversation with Pinkvilla.
Her husband, Aparesh, made a profound personal sacrifice to support her decision: 'In 2010, when I decided to come back, Aparesh's career was at its peak, but he realised that I needed to come back, and he left everything and came back.'
Despite having no intentions of returning to the screen, Shilpa eventually found herself acting again and even producing for television. But behind that professional re-emergence was a painful period marked by overwhelming emotional distress: 'I used to cry a lot, I had no control over my tears. Even when anything good happened, still I couldn't stop crying. I had become a robot, and wasn't interested in anything. I had put on so much weight, I had dark circles, I had no interest in life. I used to not go out, don't do anything, was just doing things because I had a young child, dropping her and picking her up from school. Wasn't talking to anyone at home. If I talked, there was misunderstanding. In fact, I just wanted to hit my head on the wall.'
Counselling psychologist Athul Raj tells indianexpress.com, 'Unresolved grief-related depression often hides in plain sight. The person might be going about their daily life, showing up at work, and making small talk, but inside, they feel emotionally shut down.'
A post shared by Shilpa Shirodkar Ranjit (@shilpashirodkar73)
He adds that situational sadness usually has a clear cause, like a breakup or disappointment, and tends to ease with support or time. 'Burnout comes from prolonged stress, often work-related, and while it's exhausting, it usually improves with rest or lifestyle changes. But unresolved grief is different. It comes from a loss that was never fully processed. The grief was either ignored, dismissed, or pushed away, and it settled into the body like a weight,' notes Raj.
In Indian families, he says, people are often told to be strong, to move on quickly, or to avoid talking about pain. Over time, these unspoken emotions build up. They don't disappear. They show up as fatigue, irritability, emotional numbness, or chronic sadness.
Spousal support can be a lifeline when someone is going through depression, says Raj, adding, 'It's not about having the answers or fixing things. It's about being emotionally present when the person feels most lost. When someone is depressed, their inner world can feel dark, empty, and disconnected. In that space, a partner's steady presence becomes a quiet but powerful reminder that they're not alone.'
That said, he mentions that supporting someone through depression is hard. It can feel confusing and draining. 'Partners often don't know what to say or do. They might fear saying the wrong thing or feel helpless watching someone they love struggle. That's why partners need support too. They need space to express their own emotions, understand what depression really is, and learn what helps and what doesn't,' he stresses.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Malti Marie takes mom Priyanka Chopra, dadi Denise Miller-Jonas for a ride in a boat, actor says ‘aye aye captain'
Malti Marie takes mom Priyanka Chopra, dadi Denise Miller-Jonas for a ride in a boat, actor says ‘aye aye captain'

Hindustan Times

time7 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Malti Marie takes mom Priyanka Chopra, dadi Denise Miller-Jonas for a ride in a boat, actor says ‘aye aye captain'

Actor Priyanka Chopra is unwinding with loved ones after her whirlwind promotional tour for Heads of State. She was recently spotted in Miami enjoying quality time with family. Her brother-in-law Joe Jonas and his ex-wife Sophie Turner reunited to celebrate their daughter Willa's birthday. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas welcomed Malti through surrogacy in January 2022. In moments shared on social media, Priyanka was also seen having fun with her daughter Malti, who got behind the wheel to chauffeur her mom and her grandmother, Denise Miller-Jonas, around in a speedboat no less. Priyanka spends quality time with family On Thursday, Priyanka took to Instagram Stories to share a picture of herself and her mother-in-law with Malti. The image shows Priyanka with Malti and her mother-in-law enjoying a ride together. Malti is adorably seated in the captain's chair, gripping the steering wheel with full focus, while Priyanka supports her from behind. Denise Jonas is seen sitting next to Malti as she looks on with a smile. The background reveals a bright sunny day with a cityscape of tall buildings. Priyanka captioned the photo, "Aye aye captain!" Priyanka Chopra is seen showing Malti the way ahead. The image is from their day out with family in Miami on Willa's birthday. A fan page of Priyanka shared more behind-the-scenes snaps from her recent family outing on Instagram, where Priyanka is seen lounging on the balcony, playing with Malti and sharing special moments with her husband Nick Jonas. Sophie Turner reunited with Joe Jonas as she was seen on the balcony of Joe's Miami condo. The former couple came together to celebrate their daughter Willa's birthday. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner welcomed their first daughter, Willa, on July 22, 2020. They also share daughter Delphine, who was born on July 14, 2022. In the images, which have surfaced on social media, Sophie is seen on the balcony, FaceTiming someone with a drink in hand. Joe was also spotted on the balcony with Nick, Priyanka, Kevin and Denise. The Camp Rock actor filed for divorce from Sophie in September 2023 after four years of marriage. The divorce proceedings turned sour as they battled it out over custody of their girls. The former couple have rarely been seen together publicly since their dramatic divorce, which was finalised last year. Priyanka's recent work Most recently, Priyanka was seen in Amazon Prime Video film Heads of State, which also featured Idris Elba and John Cena. Directed by Ilya Naishuller, the action-comedy narrates a story of US President (played by John Cena) and the UK Prime Minister (played by Idris Elba), who must set aside their rivalry to thwart a global conspiracy and save the world. They are joined by MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka) with whom they need to find a way to stop a global conspiracy that threatens the entire free world. Priyanka is also working on her next Indian project. She will feature in SS Rajamouli's upcoming film alongside Mahesh Babu. Apart from this, Priyanka will also be seen as a 19th-century Caribbean pirate in The Bluff. She also has the second season of web series Citadel also in the pipeline.

Huma Qureshi's Bayaan to have its world premiere at TIFF 2025, is the only Indian film in the Discovery Section
Huma Qureshi's Bayaan to have its world premiere at TIFF 2025, is the only Indian film in the Discovery Section

Hindustan Times

time7 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Huma Qureshi's Bayaan to have its world premiere at TIFF 2025, is the only Indian film in the Discovery Section

Actor Huma Qureshi's film Bayaan is headed to the Toronto International Film Festival 2025, where it will have its world premiere. Bayaan is the only Indian film in the Discovery Section. Huma Qureshi's Bayaan has been helmed by Bikas Ranjan Mishra. Bayaan off to TIFF The Indian film has been chosen to screen in a section of the film festival, a platform that has previously showcased works by directors such as Christopher Nolan, Alfonso Cuarón, and Barry Jenkins. The police procedural thriller, which is directed by Bikas Ranjan Mishra, will have its world premiere at the festival in September. According to Huma, Bayaan is a "timely and powerful story" about a woman caught in the crossfire of "power, faith, and systemic complicity", who must confront the system designed to silence her. "Bayaan gave me the opportunity to play the kind of character I've long been drawn to—someone within the justice system, yet up against forces much larger than herself. It was an absolute joy to work with a team so passionate and fearless in telling a story that feels both vital and universal," Huma said in a statement. To this, Bikas Ranjan Mishra added, 'It is my attempt to bear witness to a society in transition – and to the quiet courage of those who choose to speak. I'm deeply honoured to present my second feature, Bayaan, at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section — a platform that has launched the journeys of many filmmakers I admire and cherish." The film's producer Shiladitya Bora also shared that the team is greatly honoured to premiere Bayaan at TIFF. More about the film Apart from Huma, Bayaan also stars Chandrachur Singh, Sachin Khedekar, Paritosh Sand, Avijit Dutt, Vibhore Mayank, Sampa Mandal, Swati Das, Aditi Kanchan Singh, and Perry Chhabra. The cinematography is done by Udit Khurana and editing by A Sreekar Prasad (RRR). The music has been composed by Ajay Jayanthi with Shilpi Agarwal designing the costumes. Helmed by writer-director Bikas Ranjan Mishra, the film was developed at Film Independent, Los Angeles and is produced by Shiladitya Bora of Platoon One Films. Bayaan is a co-production of Platoon One Films with Madhu Sharma (Summit Studios), Kunal Kumar, Anuj Gupta as producers with Switzerland-based Sadik Keshwani (Guidant Films) as co-producer. Huma is also attached as an Executive Producer on the film. The film is supported by the International Film Festival Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund and was developed at LA Residency, a part of the Global Media Makers (GMM) program of Film Independent, Los Angeles.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Shares Glimpse From Her Camera Roll Featuring Furry Friends
Samantha Ruth Prabhu Shares Glimpse From Her Camera Roll Featuring Furry Friends

News18

time20 minutes ago

  • News18

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Shares Glimpse From Her Camera Roll Featuring Furry Friends

The actress gave fans a peek into her camera roll, and it's filled with love for her adorable pets. Samantha Ruth Prabhu is melting hearts once again, but this time, it's not with a glamorous red carpet look or any performance. The actress gave fans a peek into her camera roll, and it's filled with love for her adorable pets. Taking to her Instagram stories, Samantha Ruth Prabhu shared a photo of her recent camera roll. The actress is seen sitting with her furry friends and even asked fans about their camera roll. In a recent interview, Samantha recalled the time when she was addicted to her cell phone and revealed that it felt like a toxic relationship. The actress, who is currently rumoured to be dating director Raj Nidimoru, shared that she was so much into her phone that it started to disrupt her daily routine. 'I had made so many changes in my life, and I was pretty happy with the routine I had created for myself. The one thing that I couldn't control was this… Going to the phone, this relationship with my phone, which I was starting to question again, and this false sense of importance that 'It's my work and it has to be done'," Samantha said on her health podcast, as quoted by ETimes. This comes at a time when Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who was previously married to Naga Chaitanya, has been making headlines due to her rumoured relationship with Raj Nidimoru. While the two have not issued any statement confirming or denying their relationship, netizens are sure that they have been in a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, on the work front, Samantha was last seen in Citadel Honey Bunny with Varun Dhawan. While the show was loved by all, it was recently reported that Citadel will not be renewed for a second season. The second season of the Indian spin-off of Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden's show has been cancelled. First Published: July 24, 2025, 11:02 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store