‘It was as if the world was tumbling down’
IT is hard to believe that cheerful Daiyan Trisha Nasaruddin once suffered from depression.
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter from Bangi, Selangor, admitted she had a “mental breakdown” last year, due to problems in studies, social life and her three-year entertainment career.
However, Daiyan, who had just completed her degree in business management, successfully beat the illness by channelling pain into a song.
Titled Kita Manusia, it was dedicated to sufferers of depression, mental illness and bullying.
“It was as if the world was tumbling down. I felt like a loser, and cried in my bedroom for days,” said Daiyan at the recent press preview for her first film, Busker, in Petaling Jaya.
Unable to communicate with loved ones, Daiyan chatted with friends on social media, and after weeks of isolation, she found a creative outlet for her despair.
“Penning Kita Manusia took the burden off my back. It was like the pain inside me was channelled to creating this, and after I sang it, my soul became calmer and I had a good sleep.”
The song, composed with Omar K., talked about one’s vulnerability and encouraged people to rise up. It has had good airplay since its October launch in tandem with Astro’s Kita Manusia campaign to raise awareness about depression.
Daiyan, the second of five siblings and the daughter of novelist Samsiah Mohd Nor, was saddened by the recent suicide of South Korean singer Jonghyun.
When asked about Busker, Daiyan said it was a challenge to play a non-singing role in a musical film about musicians.
Busker premieres on Jan 11 and stars Hafeez Mikail, Anas Ridzuan, Lia Natalia, Stephanie Jessica Terry, Mas Khan, Elizabeth Tan, Altimet, Monoloque, Man Bai, Luqman Hafidz, Aziz M Osman, and Zain Hamid.
Most of its 21 songs were composed and written by Monoloque, but Daiyan’s songs are also featured.