After Shekhar Suman spoke about depression and the demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar also expressed his views on the matter through his YouTube channel. The Indian Express quoted him saying,
“I met him (Sushant) in Olive in Mumbai when I was about to leave India in 2016. A boy was approaching with long hair and his hat askew. I did not feel a lot of confidence when somebody told me he would be portraying the role of MS Dhoni in a biopic. I thought I will have to watch his acting now. He has come from a humble background, and he is making a good film. The film did turn out to be successful.”
“But one thing that bothered me was that I should have accosted him and shared my life experiences with him. This may have given him a broader spectrum in life. I regret not talking to him.”
Hindustan Times quoted him adding,
“When I came into the side there was Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis who were like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh only… So I had to really put in the hard yards to make a name for myself.”
He concluded by saying,
“Setbacks are a part of life. When you are aware of your life’s problems, please share and discuss them with those close to you. Deepika Padukone had a problem, and she openly said that I have anxiety issues and I need help. Sushant also needed such help, and probably he was taking it also. But he should have shared his problems with his strong-minded friends.”
Many other celebrities have spoken about how mental health is important in the past few weeks.