‘India long way from ending mental illness stigma’

NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone called on Friday for bolder efforts by Indians to end the stigma surrounding mental illness.

"We have a long way to go", said the A-lister, who went public about her struggle with depression in 2015 and won praise for her campaign to spark public discourse on mental health in a country that has traditionally considered such illnesses taboo.

The 32-year-old, who starred in the hits "Padmaavat" and "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" opposite Vin Diesel, founded the Live Laugh Love Foundation to create awareness about mental health. The charity on Friday launched the results of a survey it conducted in eight Indian cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai, which showed nearly half of Indians held prejudices against people with mental illnesses.