Vikrant Massey’s recent posts about the need to prioritise his own health and make time for himself ring true for so many of us. It has, in many ways, sparked off a conversation around job burnout, about the manifold ways in which we immerse ourselves into the humdrum of our everyday lives, that there comes a point when all we want is to take a break!
When Massey wrote, “As I move forward, I realise it’s time to recalibrate and go back home. As a husband, father and a son. And also as an actor...” somewhere, it touched a chord with us as well. And then next day when he further explained that all that emotional venting meant that he simply felt burnt out and needed a long break, to simply be home and take care of himself and his loved ones, we tend to reflect upon our own lives as well, if we too, are overloading our minds and bodies with hectic, unforgiving schedules and constant notifications that just don’t seem to stop.
Interestingly, THE WEEK interviewed Massey barely a few days after the release of his film 12th Fail, which became a huge success and reaffirmed the actor’s prodigious talent and bankability. Would you consider this the most thrilling phase in your career, we asked him, and he said, “I really don’t know.. it is pretty peaceful and calming, as of now. I’m taking things as they come, and I’m at peace with where I am or how the audiences have reacted. I’m very happy, to be honest, but after a week of celebration, life goes back to normal, which means preparing for the next film.”
For actors, this sense of burnout is all the more pronounced, say experts, given that they go through intense filming schedules which often require them to shoot nonstop, thereby leading to physical and mental exhaustion. Add to this the “unforgiving” pressure to perform and deliver superhits, constant public scrutiny and frequent travel that takes them away from family and friends, thereby leading to heightened levels of stress and anxiety. Numerous Hollywood actors have spoken about burnout in the past, including Emma Stone, Chris Hemsworth, Lady Gaga and Ryan Reynolds, among others, all of whom spoke about feeling burnt out after intense filming schedules and realising the need for prioritising their own physical and mental health.
Warnings from parents and popping anxiety pills, recounts Randeep Hooda
Just a few months back, actor Randeep Hooda told THE WEEK how he had to pop pills in order to keep his anxiety in check during the shoot of his film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. “My parents made me promise that I won’t do this again..that they wouldn’t stay with me in Mumbai if I did it again,” this was Randeep Hooda explaining the “challenging and traumatising” period he went through during the making and up to the final release of his recent film.
This movie, he said, had been the most challenging for him so far; “one that was emotionally, mentally and physically draining to the point that he had to keep popping pills in order to keep his exhaustion and anxiety in check.” This time around, Hooda was more than an actor—he was also a co-writer, a first-time director and a producer who had pumped in his own money to see the film through. Adding to it was mounting pressure to finish the film, which seemed to be going on forever—one and a half years to complete a 55-day shooting schedule—resulting in a dip in morale, and his own health took a beating.
Hooda shed an unhealthy 30-plus kilos for a certain part in the film when Savarkar spent his years in an undernourished state in the Kala Pani central jail. The problem was Hooda had to keep switching between this state of “deprivation” (relying only on almond oil and dry fruits) and “revenge eating” and again starving, leading to a “near-death experience.” Recalling the “horror,” he said, “I will never do this again.” And then, after a pause, as if in an afterthought, he added, “But then again, never say never,” smiling cheekily.
Burnout typically refers to exhaustion, both physical and mental, lack of motivation to perform well and increased irritability, say mental health experts. Feeling drained and depleted and lacking the enthusiasm to socialise are also clear symptoms.
Although it can affect anyone and everyone, Massey’s post puts the spotlight on actors and by acknowledging the signs and taking the decision to address it, Massey has found a resonance with many others who, hopefully, will now address the issue that has been plaguing them too.
“There is a stigma attached to mental health as Indians do not take issues of the mind seriously. People do not want to come to the clinics for fear that someone might spot them. We need to give mental issues importance like any other problem. It is crucial that people seek help,” said Dr Nirmee Shah, psychiatrist at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai