TRY AS I MIGHT, I can’t remember the number of times I have watched Mrs Doubtfire. Robin Williams is splendid in that movie, isn’t he? Or he was rather splendid, wasn’t he?
What pains me most as I write this editorial is the sad fact of how a person who made so many people laugh actually died distraught, fighting extreme depression? The mounting pressure of alimony from his two previous marriages, the alleged survivor’s guilt that he lived with (his three dear friends, Christopher Reeve, John Belushi and Andy Kaufman, were dead), substance abuse, the pressures of maintaining his lifestyle, the cancellation of his latest TV show and the gradual decay that makes its way into a celebrity’s life was too much for him to bear.
“You're only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it”, the American actor, comedian, film producer, and screenwriter had said once.And sadly it was one spark of madness that took his life away.
Depression is a mounting concern in modern times. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression is slated to become the second leading cause of death and disability across the world by 2020. What is worse, the news for India isn’t good either. Nearly every thirteenth person in India runs the risk of developing an episode of depression during his/her lifetime, according to a study conducted by WHO. Depression hits harder when you have bigger expectations from life. Dealing with life in the glamour world is definitely not easy, but what is probably the most difficult is being in it all and yet not being swayed by it and losing the sense of reality. At least that is how I look at it.
And this is one of the reasons we have the diva and timeless beauty, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, on the cover. She has made her transition from being a leading actress to focusing on roles that suit her well. So be it her dance academy, sneaking a holiday with her family to the Taj Mahal or sharing screen space with her one time rival Juhi Chawla, she is doing it all with a poise. Read between the lines and you will find out why it is important to have a life beyond both work and family.
Talking of life, we feature an American settled in India, Jodie Underhill in Good Karma. She leads Waster Warriors with a mission to a clean India, not stopping to give explanations on why she think the world will be a better place without all the garbage and that you got to start somewhere.
In Looking Back, we have an interesting interview with veteran journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay, who shares the importance of integrity and what it takes to keep fighting, no matter how big and mighty your opponent is.
Fight what is right, for what you want to do. For that is what makes life worth every pain.