More than big bad incidents, it’s the everyday stuff that hugely effect one’s mind: Mallika Dua
Actor-comedian Mallika Dua says taking care of one’s mental health is as important as physical health.
Today, a celebrity can lose themselves as there is a lot of noise on social media. Moreover, you don’t have the luxury to switch off as you might lose bit of work and that is a downside,” says actor-comedian Mallika Dua, who feels that we are consuming a lot than what we are creating today.
“On Twitter, there is some or the other bad news, on Instagram, your peers are doing something that you are not, or there is fear about what someone is saying on social media. So, where do you find time to create? You need to be pulled out of the limbo to go to work. Also, most celebs you can’t say what you want as the consequences can be huge, which isn’t all specific to just celebs,” adds Dua, who has been part of OTT shows, films and creates content on social media.
With the pandemic taking a toll on everyone in varying degrees, Dua emphasises the need to take care of one’s mental health, especially in 2020 and feels it is as important as looking after one’s physical health. “Mental health has never been taboo with me. I have open about going to therapy. More than big bad incidents, it is the everyday incidents that have a huge effect on one’s mind. Going to therapy should be like going to the gym. I had never known as much anxiety before I joined the entertainment world,” she shares.
She not only has been creating content for online shows but also has done acting parts in films. Dua regards everything that she does as acting. “When you do a caricature, it is acting as it is funny and over the top. So, I have always been acting. I never thought of myself as a comedian. In fact, people ask me about lack of female comedians and I think the reason is that when we raise our girls, we don’t say it is ok to be funny. It is not seen as desirable or profitable. We have to change this mindset,” she says.
She had a productive 2020 as she shot for three non-fiction shows and also enjoyed spending time with her parents in Delhi at a stretch due to the pandemic. “Few layers of pretence have been shed this year as we saw the real side people on social media. We learnt that we were living in excess and that family and work are all the essentials we need,” she says.
The actor will soon be seen in the Kiara Advani-starrer Indoo Ki Jawani in the role of a friend. She is glad that she wasn’t typecast as a chubby friend of the heroine. “My physical appearance was incidental for the role and I enjoyed shooting with Kiara. There was superb bonding. Back in the day, I would love to use dating apps and they were fun. But today, people recognise me and so that is not an option,” she says.
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