Nawazuddin Siddiqui says ‘nobody in villages is depressed’, Gulshan Devaiah retorts ‘can’t take him seriously’

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, in a recent interview, said that depression is an urban concept and that nobody in villages feels depressed.

In an interview with Mashable India, the Raman Raghav 2.0 actor said that if he would have told his father that he is “feeling depressed”, he would have been slapped. “I come from a place where, if I would tell my father that I am feeling depressed, he would give me one tight slap… Depression waha nahi tha, kisi ko bhi nahi hota waha depression, sab khush hai (No one gets depressed in villages, everyone is happy there). But I learnt about anxiety, depression, and bipolar after coming to the city.”

The actor, who was born in Budhana, a small town in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, added, “Ye shehro mein aake hoti hai, yaha pe har aadmi apne chhote emotions ko bhi bohot glorify karta hai (This is an urban concept, people in cities glorify their emotions).”

In a recent NDTV interview, Nawazuddin was asked to clarify his statement. Stating that he was talking about “his experience”, the actor said, “I might be considered wrong in cities…But still if I go to my village and say I am feeling depressed, I will be thrashed. They will ask me to go wander in the fields, eat well… nobody is depressed there.”

When asked if it is because there is a lack of awareness in villages on depression, Nawaz said, “There is nothing called depression in villages. You can go and check, nobody is depressed there. Those living in cities glorify their emotions too much. They should see those who live on footpaths and still dance in the rain.”

Actor Gulshan Devaiah also reacted to Nawaz’s statement and said that he “respects the man for his craft” but can’t take him seriously on this issue.

Taking to Twitter, Gulshan wrote, “Dritharashtra & Gandhari syndrome. I immensely respect the man for his craft, but I’d not take him seriously on this issue. If you even just look at alcoholism or addictions, they exist in rural communities, and that’s mental illness. No addict indulges in addiction because they love it. The addiction is a symptom, the real problem is the trauma they can’t heal.”

On the work front, Nawaz is awaiting the release of his upcoming comedy Jogira Sara Ra Ra with Neha Sharma.