New Delhi: Aamir Khan and Reena Dutt’s daughter Ira Khan has always been open about her thoughts. She is very active on social media and has a fan following of millions. She has often opened up about her depression journey and shared videos on her social handle to spread awareness. She has often acknowledged the presence of mental health disorders in her family and has opened up how her parents helped her in this difficult phase. Recently, while speaking to paparazzi on World Suicide Prevention Day, she talked about suicide and said how people are not ready to talk about suicide.
Ira, who has talked about her battle with clinical depression, said she never really encountered any thoughts that reached a point of no return. “A lot of people think only those with mental health issues get suicidal thoughts. That’s not true. A lot of things happen together… It is actually very complicated. Also, people forget that someone with no mental illness can still feel very alone,” she says, asserting that finding something that gives you hope is paramount in life.
“Reaching out to people is a very big part. If we know there are many little things people can do to prevent this (suicide)… It’s not so dreadful or hopeless, there is hope. People often think if they ask someone if they are feeling suicidal, they might put the thought in the person’s head. It doesn’t work like that,” adds the 26-year-old, who is currently engaged to her boyfriend Nupur Shikhare.
Earlier, while speaking to The Times of India, Ira revealed that she is still on medication. She said, “Every 8-10 months I will have a big crash. It’s partly genetic, partly psychological, and partly social. It took me a while to figure it out. But I have mental health disorders in my family. I also did not make healthy choices and I systematically walked into depression.”
She also shared a video with a long caption talking about mental illness in 2010. The caption read, “A lot has been going on, a lot of people have a lot to say. Things are really confusing and stressful and simple and okay but not okay and… life all together. There’s no way to say it all in one go. But I’d like to think I’ve figured some stuff out, or at least figured out how to make it slightly more understandable. About mental health and mental ill-health. So come with me on this journey… in my awkward, quirky, sometimes-baby-voice-y, as-honest-as-I-can-be… way. Let’s start a conversation. Happy World Mental Health Day.”
Ira is the daughter of Aamir Khan and his first wife Reena Dutta. The couple is also parent to a son named Junaid Khan. After Aamir and Reena separated in 2002, Aamir tied the knot with Kiran Rao, with whom he shares a son, Azad Rao Khan. Azad was born through surrogacy.
Ira Khan recently launched Agastu Foundation to aid mental health support. She revealed that her father Aamir and mother Reena Dutta are a part of the advisory board of the organisation. She added that he helped her to fund the organisation until she received the right funding.
