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7 Movies that Highlight Mental Health

Movies are a great source of entertainment and, at the same time, can teach about societal issues in a simple and impactful way. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people have started realizing the importance of mental health. People are now talking more openly about it and helping each other to overcome it. Even before the pandemic, there were many movies created which addressed mental health issues very effectively.

These films increased knowledge and broadened the outlook towards mental illness

1. Karthik Calling Karthik

Karthik Calling Karthik was released in 2010. It emphasized on a psychotic disorder. Through its fictional story, the film tried to bring out the sufferings faced by a schizophrenic patient, and the kind of symptoms that he showed - delusions and hallucinations. However, instead of stereotyping this disorder, the movie empowered the sufferers to survive by giving a beautiful example from the picture.

2. Dear Zindagi

Dear Zindagi is a 2016 movie starring Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt as leads. It got appreciated by the audience as it focused on acknowledging mental health issues. In the movie, the lead character Alia Bhatt, was suffering from psychological symptoms such as sleeplessness, anxiety issues, abandonment issues, and signs of depression, caused majorly due to social, childhood factors. The movie also broke the stigma where Alia Bhatt sought a counselor to address her problems, which later led her towards healing and finding her identity.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was released in 2012, starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson. Logan Lerman is seen going through mental health symptoms of trauma after his best friend committed suicide, which led him down a depression spiral. Perks of Being a Wallflower accurately portrayed the symptoms of PTSD in an adolescent who experienced the trauma of sexual abuse as a child. It also provided a positive image of psychiatry and a psychiatric hospital. Films that provide this kind of insight into psychiatric conditions help eliminate the stigmas we still see today.

4. Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook was released in 2012 starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence. It even got nominated for Oscar Awards in the Best Movie category. There were many points in the film where different characters made decisions that could plot line altering consequences, and then they end up being made nothing more than minor road bumps. Despite those seemingly heavy themes, the movie was a fantastic romantic comedy, showing how two people with their own sets of problems can find greatness in one another, even when they aren't looking for it.

5. Bhool Bhulaiyaa

Bhool Bhulaiyaa was released in 2007 starring Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan and Amisha Patel. It was touted as a horror-comedy, but it fell into the bracket of films about mental health. Throughout the film, it was hinted that something was wrong with the character of Radha, who was believed to be possessed by the spirit of a ghost, Manjulika. The elements of bhoot-mantra and psychiatrists touting themselves to be godmen didn’t help. While the conclusion squarely dispels the ghost's story, it focuses on Vidya Balan's character, Avni, who suffers from multiple personality disorder, and coupled with her history of mental illness, imbibes Manjulika’s character followed by her treatment.

6. Chhichhore

Chhichhore is a 2019 movie, Sushant Singh Rajput and Shraddha Kapoor. Sushant played the role of a teen's father. His son tried to end his life after finding out that he had not qualified for the IIT. The film followed the hostel life of Sushant and his six friends. And gave a glimpse of the story of how once branded as losers, they fought to earn the respect of the same individuals who branded them as losers. The movie showed how we could change our lives and make the best of what we've got. It also pointed to the common problem of parental pressure on children and the effects of peer pressure.

7. Judgementall Hai Kya

Judgementall Hai Kya is a 2019 movie starring Raj Kumar Rao and Kangana Ranaut, which highlighted a mental disorder that gets undiagnosed and unreported many times due to a considerable societal stigma attached to it. The movie showed that she suffered from dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple identity disorder, associated with traumatic experiences in childhood, as her father harassed her mother. She assumed alternate personalities when she assumed herself as Sita and the other person as Ravan.

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Published on October 28, 2021