Alia Bhatt‘s sister Shaheen Bhatt recently opened up about her battle with depression in her book I’ve Never Been (un)Happier. The sisters were present for the session on mental health at We The Women curated by Barkha Dutt where Alia, after a while, broke down about being unable to understand her sister’s state despite living together.
Alia expressed her guilt about not being there as much as she should have while Shaheen was battling depression. It was only after she read the book that she completely understood what she was going through.
That makes me feel, on so many levels, so terrible as a sister. I feel like I didn’t put myself out there enough to understand her, to think about what she was going through. I was sensitive but I do feel guilty for not understanding her as much as I should have. I do understand much better now.
Alia choked and broke down multiple times during the event while about her brave sister. She was also well aware that her emotional breakdown could steer the attention away from the subject matter; but she simply couldn’t hold back her tears.
The reason I didn’t want to cry was that it’ll become “Alia sheds a tear”. But it isn’t about that. I don’t want it to become the focus but I’m sorry, I just can’t help but cry. I love her so much, with all the muscle and cell in my body.
This is so heartbreaking! Our heart goes out to all those struggling to maintain their mental health. We hope you find strength, happiness and unconditional support from the people surrounding you.