For a long time, there was little or no awareness of the mental health problems that individuals go through. But as society evolves, so does Bollywood. Recently, many films have been made in Bollywood that tackle this sensitive subject and humanize the mental health issues one faces.
Here is a list of some of the best:
Bollywood films that talk about mental health
Barfi
Anurag Basu directed ‘Barfi’, which explores the complex relationship between a deaf and mute person (Ranbir Kapoor), a autistic person (Priyanka Chopra) and an ordinary person (Ileana D’Cruz). It’s the kind of film that fills the heart! From the acting to the script to the cinematography, everything draws you into the world of disabled people without carrying the weight of pity. Barfi is streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. IMDb rated this film 8.1 out of 10.
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Tamacha
Tamasha follows the story of Vir (Ranbir Kapoor) who suffers from borderline personality disorder. At one point he is reckless, carefree, and lively, and at one point he is shy, boring, and reserved. The film explores how this problem affects his relationship with his girlfriend Tara (Deepika Padukone). Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha deals with the complexities of relationships of an individual with a personality disorder and does justice to the characteristics exhibited by people suffering from this condition. This film is streaming on Netflix and ZEE5 and has an IMDb rating of 7.3/10.
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Dear Zindagi,
Dear Zindagi is one of the films based entirely on the theme of Mental Health. The film follows the story of Kaira (Alia Bhatt), a cinematographer who suffers from deep-rooted psychological and abandonment issues that stem from her childhood. The story then explores how Jug, an unconventional therapist (Shah Rukh Khan) helps him in his journey of personal development, healing and covering up. This film is streaming on Netflix and has an IMDb rating of 7.4/10.
Image courtesy: IMDb