4 min readMumbaiJun 16, 2026 08:18 PM IST
Eleven years ago, Deepika Padukone opened up on her battle with clinical depression, with her mother Ujjala Padukone by her side. While her mother wasn’t completely aware of her daughter’s depression battle since they lived in different cities, she did have an inkling. Now, Deepika’s sister Anisha Padukone has also confessed that she wasn’t upto speed with Deepika’s initial depression symptoms.
What Anisha Padukone said
“I was not aware enough about the signs and symptoms to be able to understand what she was really going through,” said Anisha. “The fact that we didn’t live in the same city also didn’t not help, and I am really caught unaware and off guard. Her journey teaches me that I do not know enough about the subject and need to read and understand more in order to support her in the way that is required,” she added.
While Deepika Padukone was working in Mumbai back then, Anisha Padukone, a professional golfer, was based out of their hometown Bengaluru. “That is also when my own mental health journey begins. I start taking better care of my mental health. As an athlete, I always focus on physical health to some extent, but not so much on mental health. The more I research and understand this subject, the more I realise that there are millions of people, not just in India but globally, going through similar experiences,” Anisha told PTI.
Deepika Padukone, Anisha Padukone’s mental health advocacy
Shortly after opening up on her battle with depression, Deepika Padukone also started The Live Love Laugh Foundation with Anisha Padukone as an attempt to advocate mental health across India. Anisha is focused on spreading awareness about mental health in the rural areas. “Scaling our rural programme, exploring new programme interventions that align with the Foundation’s strengths, and building and nurturing a strong team have been on the cards,” Anisha told The Indian Express in 2024.
She underlined the importance of speaking about mental health, particularly for women. “From being able to juggle multiple responsibilities at home along with a career, to hormonal changes in the body pre and post-partum, it can all get very overwhelming. Often, women tend to neglect their mental health because of all the responsibilities and lack of time,” she argued.
Realizing the potential the foundation has in the area of mental health, Anisha quit her golf career and committed herself to the foundation completely. Anisha said, “I always felt that I had an adequate understanding of mental health until I became a caregiver (for Deepika). My lack of awareness on the topic made me feel helpless. It wasn’t until mental health professionals guided me about what to do and I started to read up on the topic that I was able to be truly helpful.”
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She added, “I learned that being empathic, understanding and patient was very helpful. Creating a safe space so that feelings can be shared without judgement is also crucial. Most importantly, taking care of your own well-being as a caregiver is as critical as being supportive of a person with mental illness.”
Disclaimer: This article discusses personal experiences with clinical depression and the importance of mental health advocacy.
Help is a call away. Mental health helpline numbers:
AASRA: 9820466726 (24×7; English, Hindi)
Snehi: 9582208181 (10am – 10pm; English, Hindi, Marathi)
Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102 (24×7; Multi-lingual)
Connecting NGO: 9922004305, 9922001122 (12pm – 8pm; English, Hindi, Marathi)
Vandrevala Foundation: 18602662345 (24×7; Multi-lingual)
Anisha Padukone admits she wasn't aware of sister Deepika Padukone's early battle with depression.