The entertainment industry is not an easy place to be. While the glitz and glamour may seem alluring, it is a tough place when it comes to dealing with work, love and loss. The recent incident that brought this discussion to the fore is actor Tunisha Sharma, who has reportedly ended her life over issues with her beau Sheezan Khan, who is also her co-star in the show Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul. MS World International Ambassador Priya Paramita Paul shares her viewpoint.
“I don’t think any industry is a tough place because everything depends on you and what you are trying to achieve. An actor is in this industry for his bread and butter. I wouldn’t say don’t fall in love with your co-workers, there are many examples in history where the co-workers got married and are happy together. However actors need to understand that the first thing they are here is because they want to work. I am sure each and every actor has stories of their struggles. If you are lucky and fall in love with your co-worker, you shouldn’t mix both things. It depends on how you want to approach your life. If you are losing something then remember life will offer you a lot of things that you can gain,” she says.
Heartbreaks lead to extreme action. Some end up taking drastic steps, something that Tunisha probably has done, as per reports.
“I really have a lot of empathy and sympathy for Tunisha and her family. She was a young girl who hadn’t seen life enough. I don’t think such extreme steps should be taken. It’s not a solution. If you are going through such kind of emotional trauma or turmoil, it is a good idea to seek help. You can talk to your parents or your close friends. Any actor like her has got wherever they are after a lot of hard work, how can a love life become so much of a priority than anything else. Any love or anything cannot become so important that you will compromise your life just because you didn’t get your love. Any actor of her age or younger or elder should never take such steps. Your life is always bigger than everything else,” she adds.
Uncertainty in the nature of work also affects one mental health. “Yes, it’s a stage which is not a comfortable space for anyone. They don’t know what’s the next step. I know that each and everyone of us have passed through these uncertainties since we were born and we need to understand that we always got better from where we were in the past. You should just keep working because you never know what life has in store for you,” she shares.
The industry as a whole can help each other cope with mental health issues, feels Priya. “Maybe because it depends on who we are talking with. There are many people in the industry who are so empowered and so positive and so nice. If those kinds of people are around you then they can help you with your mental health issues. However, one must also remember that everyone is not approachable,” she shares.
Speaking on Tunisha’s sudden demise at the age of 20, Priya shares that all these issues and beautiful tales related to love and life are all stories and we are sadly making this into reality.
“You need to understand life and remember that anything cannot be influenced by a movie or any TV show. Acting is your bread and butter and one should understand the step you are taking. The entire world watches what you do and learns from you but when you take such sudden steps it really affects the audience, it affects the actor community. You have sources to seek help, so please reach out to ones you trust. Life is beyond what you think it is right now. It always gets better,” she ends on a positive note.
