Arjun Kapoor praises sports icons Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles for speaking on mental health

The awareness regarding mental health is growing with more celebrities opening about their battles with depression and anxiety. Sports icons, including Naomi Osaka, Ben stokes, and Simone Biles, recently came out about their mental health. Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor, who has battled obesity in his formative years and coped up with his mental health, praised the sports personalities and highlighted the importance of understanding people's battle with mental health.

Arjun Kapoor backs sports icons for prioritising mental health

In a recent interview with ANI, the 2 States actor mentioned how it has become important to listen when people speak about what they are going through. He said, "We have to encourage and laud people who are coming out to tell their story. We live in an era where we are constantly being watched and monitored. It is not easy to not have any downtime. So, when people like Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, and Ben Stokes speak up, we have to listen patiently because what they are going through is reflective of what our generation is feeling." He further said, "These guys are all legends who successfully deal with immense pressure every single day and if they are sparking conversation to prioritise mental health, we should listen very, very carefully.".

Arjun Kapoor then spoke about his own experience of betting trolls and said, "Not apples to apples at all, but when I was battling obesity, it was brushed aside as I'm just a fat guy who is privileged and he must be eating and having a foot time. No one bothered about what I was going through mentally.". The Ishaqzaade actor also said how it is important to normalize conversations about mental health in society. The actor said, "We must normalize these conversations in society. In a digital world, we are being pushed to be constantly on. We are surrounded by cameras and we have to put up the best things for like comments. We hardly have the time to connect with ourselves and our close ones without the presence of our phones. Plus, now we have the pandemic which has made us all too boxed up.".

At last, Arjun Kapoor reflected on how prioritising mental health by sports icons would help people understand its importance. He also mentioned what a person dealing with mental health issues goes through. Arjun Kapoor will be seen in the upcoming film Bhooth Police alongside Saif Ali Khan, Yami Gautam, and Jacqueline Fernandez.

IMAGE: ARJUN KAPOOR'S INSTAGRAM