Actress Deepika Padukone and hashtag ‘Repeat After Me’ were on top of Twitter trends in India on Thursday. The actress is now being trolled on social media for her posts on mental health issues, particularly depression.
The phrase ‘repeat after me’ was used by Deepika in a post on depression, a few days after the sudden demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
‘Repeat after me: Depression is treatable,” read one of the captions.
This phrase has now become fodder for memes with many users connecting it to nepotism, and other issues. Users are also targeting the actress and accusing her for using ‘depression as a joke’ and using it to gain sympathy.
Deepika spoke about depression in 2015, and ever since has been speaking up regularly about the importance of mental health. She also founded the Live Love Laugh Foundation to increase awareness and reduce stigma associated with mental health issues.
The foundation also launched the ‘Dobaro Poocho’ campaign to stress on the importance of talking to people, and listening to them without being judgemental.
Sushant Singh died by suicide on June 14, and Deepika had tweeted: "As a person who has had a lived experience with mental illness, I cannot stress enough about the importance of reaching out. Talk. Communicate. Express. Seek help. Remember, you are not alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is hope."