Sakshi Dwivedi: In showbiz, nobody actually cares what you’re going through

The entertainment industry is not an easy place to be. While the glitz and glamour may seem alluring, it is a tough place when it comes to dealing with work, love and loss. The recent incident that brought this discussion to the fore is actor Tunisha Sharma, who has reportedly ended her life over issues with her beau Sheezan Khan, also her Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul co-star. Sakshi Dwivedi of Splitsvilla fame shares her viewpoint.

“It’s not just the entertainment industry. Wherever you are, you have to deal with love and loss. In the end, we all are human beings, have feelings and emotions and it’s not easy to deal with these things. Being in the entertainment industry, it becomes harder because then you have to wear a mask and be someone you are not because a lot of people are watching you, and they just want to see your happy face. Nobody actually cares what you are going through. People, media and everyone just want to see your happy face,” she says.

Heartbreaks lead to extreme reactions. Some people even end up taking drastic steps. “Life is precious and we are born here for some reason, we need to give life a chance. Life is full of ups and downs and it's never a la la land, you have to be strong. Mental health is really very important and education on the topic is a must so that you can deal with your emotional vulnerability. Heartbreaks do make you very weak and unstable but suicide is never an option. The best solution for these kinds of situations is seeking help and connecting with your own self for that much-required reality check. Today is different from tomorrow. Things change constantly, then why to take such decisions that are based on a certain emotional parameter or in the heat of the moment,” she adds.

The uncertainty in the nature of work in showbiz also affects the mental health of those a part of the workforce. Sakshi agrees and explains that acting is not a nine to seven job and one is not a paid salary.

“Here every day is a battle where you go for auditions and there are so many people fighting for the same thing. Sometimes you get the role but sometimes you are replaced at the last moment, and it's very traumatising but you can't do anything about it. Mental health is something that needs to be addressed and it needs to be taught in schools as well,” she says.

The industry as a whole can help each other to cope with mental health. The actor opines that if everyone is educated then definitely they can but the most mentally vulnerable people exist in this industry because everyone here goes through extreme traumas and heartbreaks.

“It's not just about the love heartbreaks but work heartbreaks as well. People who have lots of dreams and desires, they come into this field and the amount of love that we have for work, if we don't get it that does affect us. People in our industry are already going through a lot mentally so I wish that it becomes a better place where everyone can help each other,” she adds.

Tunisha’s death has been shocking for all, including Sakshi. “Somebody who is just twenty and has not even started their life or seen anything in the world, it's really heartbreaking. I wish there was someone with her who could have told her in a better way about life. I don't know what actually she was going through or what battle she was fighting, but it must have been hard for her or else she would have not taken this step,” she says.