Deepika Padukone launches ‘Frontline Assist’ initiative to provide mental health support to frontline workers’
Mumbai: Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who has been quite vocal about her battle with depression, recently launched the ‘Frontline Assist’ initiative to provide mental health support to the country’s frontline workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
As people are facing a strong negative impact of COVID-19 on their mental health, Bollywood’s dimple queen has decided to join hands with Sangath, a nonprofit organisation that is committed to improving health and evidence-based interventions in mental healthcare.
New initiative
Through this initiative, Deepika, under her ‘Live Love Laugh’ non-profit organisation (that deals with mental health issues), will support Sangath’s COVID-19 wellbeing centre with sale proceeds from her clothing line, ‘The Deepika Padukone Closet’.
For the unversed, Deepika’s clothing line has been already dedicatedly supporting her ‘Live Love Laugh’ foundation. Every purchase a person makes from Deepika’s closet supports ‘Live Love Laugh’ that is focused on giving hope to those experiencing stress, anxiety and depression.
Taking to her Instagram handle, the ‘Padmaavat’ actress wrote, “Frontline workers have been the backbone of our country as we weather this pandemic. Having had a lived experience with mental illness, I understand the importance of emotional wellbeing, and as a mental health foundation, we are grateful to be able to contribute to the mental health of our country’s frontline workers with ‘Frontline Assist.”
“We are proud to direct proceeds from The Deepika Padukone Closet towards mental health support of our country’s real heroes through our partnership with Sangath,” she added.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought some serious socio-economic uncertainties, giving rise to increased anxiety, depression, addiction and suicide.
Support from stars
Many actors like Ali Fazal, Sanjana Sanghi, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif and Sidharth Malhotra came forward to amplify distress calls, share helpline numbers and support relief efforts when the nation was witnessing a rampant surge in the number of COVID-19 cases during the second wave of the pandemic. Meanwhile, on the film front, Deepika, who announced her departure from Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) in April, has an impressive line-up of projects in the pipeline including ‘83’, ‘Baiju Bawra’, ‘Fighter’, ‘Sanki’, ‘Pathan’, and the Indian adaptation of Nancy Meyers’s 2015 hit Hollywood film ‘The Intern’ which will feature megastar Amitabh Bachchan too.