"Men’s Mental Health Matters—Even If It’s Still Overlooked": Indraxi Kanjilal

Indraxi Kanjilal, who is currently seen in Pushpa Impossible, feels men's mental health is very important, and though it is grabbing eyeballs now, it is still not given enough attention these days. Sharing her own experience on the occasion of Men’s Mental Health Month, which is observed in June, she said, “I remember my father used to go to work every day. It didn't matter if he was sick, if he wasn’t feeling well, or if there was any kind of problem. He would always go. He never made us realize that something was wrong. He always dealt with everything on his own, and at the end of the day, he just went to work. I never really understood the kind of sacrifices or struggles my father went through when I was a child. And even now, he never shows it.” “He never makes me feel like he’s going through a tough phase because he has always been tough. That’s how he was raised. He has always been the kind of person who doesn’t show his pain or emotions,” she added.

She feels that most of the responsible men never let others feel what they’re going through and added, “But it’s very important that men also take care of their mental health. If they’re going through something tough, they should talk to a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist.” “It’s not just about grown men; even young boys go through a lot these days. They are bullied. Studies are tough on them. And they’re constantly told not to express emotions, not to cry,” she added. Indraxi further shared that she has often heard people say to boys, ‘Don’t cry like girls,’ and added, “Honestly, I don’t even remember the last time I cried over something small or inconvenient. If it’s not something really big, crying is not even considered an option. That’s such a stereotypical thing to say, but people still say it, even today.”

She further said, “It’s like men are not supposed to have emotions. But I truly feel that men can cry. Men can have breakdowns. It’s only natural, especially if you're working hard, people are hard on you, or you're being too hard on yourself. It’s okay to take a break, to cry, and to have a therapy session. There’s nothing wrong with that. Men’s mental health is not very mainstream even today, but it is extremely important.” The actress also feels that while men are often misunderstood, even women go through such challenges at times. She said, “You know all women, all men, all of us have different personalities. Each of us is a person in our own right, and we are different from the person next to us. So, not everybody has the same perspective, or not every one of us feels the same way about a certain situation. That’s just how life works; it's called social stratification, or even personality stratification. And it is important in that way.” “Every person has a different personality. No one will have the exact same personality as someone else. It’s not possible; not even twins have all traits in common. So it’s very difficult to say there can be a ‘same’ personality,” she added.

She stressed that each of us feels different things about different individuals, and that’s just how it is. “For example, I might feel bad for my father overworking himself. But would I feel bad for another person, a complete stranger who, let’s say, just walked by and stole my bag? Would I try to understand his emotions at that point? No, right? So that’s what happens; we perceive different people differently, and that’s how life is,” she said. “Of course, if I have to talk in a general way, yes, a woman might not fully be aware of a man’s emotions, because most of the time, men tend to suppress their emotions. That’s just how they’ve been raised. And honestly, it works both ways. Because women, too, especially if they’re in the industry or in any demanding space, they’re also told to suppress emotions. You can’t act too emotional or think only about yourself. So yeah, it’s not just about men not being understood. Even men don’t always understand what women go through emotionally,” she added.

She wants to encourage women to express their feelings and emotions more. She mentioned that they shouldn’t focus on what everybody says, like “Be a man,” “Don’t cry like a girl,” etc., and instead feel. “I would love it if guys could finally express their emotions, irrespective of what society thinks or how it perceives them. Society has always perceived men in a certain way, which has made them suppress their emotions even more. But I feel like they can express their emotions more, and if they do, maybe society will start accepting it one day,” Indraxi ended.