Bollywood actress Surveen Chawla, known for her performances in Sacred Games and Hate Story 2, recently shared her emotional journey of being shamed for having a boyfriend at a young age.
The actress revealed that she faced harsh criticism and bullying, which led to severe depression during her school years.
In a recent interview, Surveen recalled, “I was only 15 and had my first boyfriend. After we broke up, I started dating his friend, which made things worse. People began calling me terrible names like r**di and f**ing s**t.” The intense societal backlash pushed her into depression when she was just in Class 9.
Depression and Migraines Struck Early
Surveen went on to explain that the emotional trauma from being judged at a young age led to a year-long depressive phase. “Because of the constant mental stress, I developed migraines,” she said. At that time, mental health awareness wasn’t widespread, and conversations around it were almost nonexistent.
Talking about her recovery, Surveen stated, “I went to a general physician who prescribed migraine medication. That was it. There was no discussion about mental health. We had to navigate through pain and trauma on our own.” She emphasized that her generation had no guidance on emotional well-being and had to learn through life experiences.
Parents Were Unaware of Her Struggles
Surveen further revealed that her family was unaware of the depression she was experiencing. “My parents had no clue what I was going through. It’s only now, in recent years, that they’ve become more open to discussing such topics,” she added.
The actress also reflected on her upbringing in a traditional and patriarchal family, where topics like feminism, sex education, and mental health were considered taboo. “Such conversations just didn’t happen in my home,” she said.
On the professional front, Surveen Chawla is currently appearing in Criminal Justice Season 4. Starring alongside Pankaj Tripathi and Shweta Basu Prasad, she has been receiving praise for her impactful performance in the series.