Tunisha Sharma’s death and our neglect of mental health

GBNEWS24DESK//

When you glance at 20-year-old Tunisha Sharma’s social media feed, you will likely be deluded by her jovial posts and upbeat personality – we now know, after her tragic passing, that it was not a bed of roses for her by any means.

Tunisha allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself on the set of a TV show in Maharashtra, during a tea-break in the midst of shooting “Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul”. In a recent viral video that was shot only 20 minutes before her presumed suicide, it was seen that she was getting ready for her shot.

While it is unacceptable that someone as young as the actress would contemplate taking her own life, mental health and mental health counseling is an oft-ignored necessity in showbiz.

In a matter of hours, her mother filed a complaint against Shezan Mohammed Khan, her co-actor from “Ali Baba”, with whom she broke up with only 15 days prior.

At a very young age, Tunisha had undeniably achieved a lot, becoming a recognised name by playing Chand Kawar in “Maharana Pratap”, Ayadhya in “Internet Wala Love” and Zara/Babli in “Ish Subhan Allah”, among other beloved characters.

What adds to the shock is that just 10 hours ago, she posted a motivational quote on Instagram. “Those who are driven by passion don’t stop,” she wrote.

Irrespective of age, mental health affects everyone, as UNICEF recently reported that sometimes serious mental health conditions are dismissed by citing hormonal issues.

According to UNICEF, 14% of the world’s adolescents experience mental-health problems. Globally, among those aged 10–15, suicide is the fifth most prevalent cause of death, and for adolescents aged 15–19 it is the fourth most common cause. Moreover, a staggering half of mental health conditions start by the age of 14.