Pratyusha, Jiah Khan, Divya Bharti: How many stars will we lose?

It's barely been five days since the news of TV star Pratyusha Banerjee's death hit the headlines and already there are several conspiracy theories about her death. Was she murdered or coerced to take her life by her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh?

Currently, the Mumbai Police has filed an abetment to suicide (Section 306 of IPC) and assault case against Rahul on the behest of Pratyusha's family and close friends who suspect his constant abuse of the starlet led to her death.

Indifference

Besides slapping and humiliating Pratyusha in public, there is a rumour that Rahul had a wife and nine-year-old son tucked away. It is also said by Pratyusha's co-star Kamya Punjabi and producer Vikas Gupta that Rahul cheated with his ex-girlfriend Saloni Sharma.

There are even theories that Pratyusha was suffering from depression, looking for support but got none. Since the case is still underway it is too early to tell, but our TV-watching nation is definitely grieving for another young life snuffed out by an indifferent society.

Pratyusha, who played Anandi in Balika Vadhu, was the face of the invincible young woman who faced all odds with a smile and confidence. In truth, the starlet's life was very far from the character she portrayed, given the amount of abuse she took from her partner. This appears to be a worrying syndrome which affects many stars.

Also read - What to talk about when you talk about Pratyusha Banerjee's suicide

Not so long ago, Jiah Khan allegedly committed suicide over ongoing emotional abuse from boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi, who has also been charged with abetment to suicide, though the case is underway.

Reading Jiah's published suicide note, one cannot help but realise how isolated and depressed she was. Heartbroken and shattered by her boyfriend's indifference, she also mentions that he cheated on her and that she was "never beautiful enough" for him. Who would imagine these glamorous stars were made to feel inadequate by their boyfriends and partners?

Although it happened in the 1990s, who can forget Divya Bharti's death when she fell off the fifth storey of Tulsi Apartments in Varsova in Mumbai? The case was closed in 1998 and hence her death still remains a mystery.

Was it really a suicide? Was her husband Sajid Nadiadwala responsible for her untimely death? We will never know, though there was enough evidence, even in this instance, that it was a tumultuous relationship.

Unsympathetic

One of the main causes for these recurring tragic deaths is lack of support and intervention. The assumption that violence between lovers or spouses is a "private" matter, often leaves the woman in the relationship alone and without support - crass and shocking comments that suicidal people are "losers" indicate the level of how unsympathetic people can be.

There is also immense pressure on stars - who live most of their lives in the public domain - to appear happy and successful. This can often lead people into a dissociative state and women find themselves obliged to live a lie.

Also read - Jiah Khan's suicide: How acting is risky business in this era

A recent research into the national increase in suicide finds a inimitable crossing of factors that intensifies the burden on those prone to mental illness - enormous pressure to be perfect, combined with seemingly having it all going for you, combined with feeling exactly the opposite inside. Social media like Facebook that more often than not showcases only perfect lives with happy smiling "selfies", isn't helping either.

Self-esteem

Unable to voice or acknowledge that their relationship is bad and should end, women, especially those in the public eye, continue to remain with the partner who slowly chips away their self-esteem, leading them towards a death wish.

It was heartening and refreshing when leading actress Deepika Padukone came out and spoke about her clinical depression. If she had kept it bottled up inside, God knows what would have happened. The stigma around any kind of mental illness is so huge that even if someone is suffering from depression, he/she never acknowledges or talks about it. These celebrities are expected by society to go on with life without taking any medication - which is ridiculous given that we take pills even for a cough or cold!

Also read - What Pratyusha Banerjee's suicide says about our attitude towards depression

Even in the US there is rise in number of female suicides at universities like the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford and according to Meeta Kumar, Penn counsellor, it is because "the chasm between the perception of the lives of others and the seemingly inferior reality of your own that the darkest thoughts can grow."

Let me leave you all with this shocking figure released by the World Health Organisation: At 34 per cent, India has the highest rate of deaths and suicides, and it is not just the starlets but everyday people like the three medical students who allegedly took their lives in Tamil Nadu's Villapuram. It's time we stopped trying to push things under the carpet.

(Courtesy of Mail Today.)