Chandni Soni (co-producer Tandoor, Raktanchal) says one needs to make peace with both the achievements and failures to stay content. It’s a journey within that we all must embark on to take care of our mental health. The producer of web shows Ranktanchal and Tandoor says for ages issues of the mind have been ignored. “We all have been concerned about our outer appearance and felt looking good and showing off how happy we are on social media in present times make up for everything. Thankfully many have come to terms with reality and have become more aware about mental health issues and ways to deal with it. For a healthy mind, we need to be in sync with our own fears and insecurities. Acceptance of the issues in life is half the battle won because most of the time we live in denial,” she says.
Revealing her plans to explore narratives based on mental health, Soni shares that she plans to take inspiration from real-life incidents. “I want to make shows or films based on common mental health issues and address the stigmas attached to it. I think it’s time we realize that we all go through something or the other in life, so it’s wrong to judge people who are suffering. We need to be compassionate towards each other and see if anyone needs help as that way we can stop many from taking any drastic step. I want to highlight all these in the stories I want to tell,” she adds.
Soni feels people in the entertainment industry are generally targeted when it comes to issues of depression and anxiety. “Our lives look glamorous from outside but we are also human beings dealing with multiple issues. We go through a lot more stress because our lives are always under media glare. We are constantly judged for our looks, appearance, dresses, weight, etc,” she explains.
Talking about how she deals with her lows, Soni says her family, especially her 10-year-old daughter Nandini is her stress buster. “We cook and play board games together. I have three dogs, playing with them also calms me down. I think we should do more of those things that make us happy and communicate about our feeling with our friends and family to stay sane… It’s sad when young and talented people from the industry end up taking their own lives for various reasons. I urge everyone to be there for each other, reach out to those who need help, speak up and never neglect issues of the mind,” she ends. (Have added a paragraph on how she wants to make films/shows highlighting mental health issues, as I had mentioned how that would add to the story. Soni needs to go through the quote and suggest necessary changes/additions. The second headline is from that quote, which we will have to rework according to the changes she suggests.
