Saba Qamar talks about depression and other mental illnesses in episode 4 of her YouTube channel series. The short clip of six minutes is written and conceived by her. Hashtagged in the caption are those souls who took their own lives due to depression.
Qamar has always been an advocate for breaking taboos in the country. Her roles in Hindi Medium and Baaghi highlighted controversial issues in our society that must be confronted. The video comes after the recent suicide of a Bollywood star and Zara Noor Abbas’s news of being diagnosed with depression.
1. It is eye-opening!
Qamar highlights various ailments of us as a society that can trigger depression. She repeats several common insults that are thrown on anyone who is not deemed perfect. Comments on height, weight, skin color and even personality traits are all common and can be damaging for the recipients. All of us are guilty of having said or thought of at least one them. Thus, the video highlights how these comments are wrong and unwanted and must be stopped.
Check out the full video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apWPbE8S3Ns
2. It is informative
Interestingly, Qamar also tries to identify the source of the problem. Why are we so full of hatred? It often comes from the home, according to the actress. She adds that parents not only exhibit the same tendencies but also encourage this behavior in their children. Seeds of hatred are sown in children at home, which later sprout into embodiments of negativity. She implores parents to let children make their own decisions.
3. It is cinematically appealing
Saba Qamar understands that a cinematic appeal, besides dialogues, is also essential to get your message across. The video has appealing graphics in which shades of red and white are explored. Qamar’s expressions are also as incredible as ever. She is shown as laughing, screaming, sobbing, all of which are portrayed realistically to mirror depression. The background repeatedly shows a figure crouching, which can be a symbol of fragility and vulnerability.
This is a conversation we need to start having, and Qamar has taken the initiative. Her tagline in the clip, “Aur kitni janein lo ge,” emphasis that we must take action before more lives are lost. Anam Tanoli, a rising fashion model, took her own life. Later, Rushaan Farrukh, a student at BNU, committed suicide at her university. These are just two of the names we know of; there are countless more that go unheard.
WHO’s statistics show that mental disorders affect 1 in every ten people on the planet. Moreover, even in high-resource settings, only one half of these get adequate treatment. In a society that turns to spiritual healers for mental illnesses, people need to be educated on the topic first. Depression and other psychiatric disorders are just as much of a disease as other physical illnesses.
It’s time we become more responsible.
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