Bollywood stars raise awareness about diseases

04 September, 2012

If you go through the health files of Bollywood stars, you will get to see that many of them are facing or have faced mild to severe health problems in the past. The busy work schedule, frequent trips, work stress and staggered diet could be some of the reasons behind their ailments but the good part is they are using their popularity to spread awareness about these ailments.

DESPITE THEIR ailments, we have witnessed Bollywood celebrities trying their best to raise awareness about health issues. They are using their popularity in a positive way and are creating awareness about the the serious ailments and its treatments.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a disease that Salman khan was suffering from. It is a painful condition, affecting a nerve in the brain which carries sensation from brain to face; it gives an electric shock like sensation to the forehead, cheek and jaw. This condition was not known to anyone, till Khan disclosed about his disease on a Zee TV show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs; his openness raised awareness about this rare disease.

Sonam Kapoor, the brand ambassador for an MNC cosmetic company, came up with her battle with bulge. She told The Times of India: “I didn’t feel awkward speaking about it on a public platform. It’s about time we started speaking and becoming comfortable about our imperfections.” Hrithik Roshan opted another way and talked about his chronic back pain in a non-filmi magazine.

Gaurav Kapoor in a very young age was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and now he is using his celebrity status to create awareness about the fatal disease. Kapoor said: “I want to help children to come to terms with it and not lose their confidence.” He also announced a Diabetes Survivor award with an NGO, as was reported in thoughtfulindia.

“Celebrities are seen as omnipotent characters. When they share their health problems, it sends across a message that being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness,” maintained psychiatrist Harish Shetty. Finally, the celebrity activism has started budding in India for a genuine cause. We are not living in an era, where illness was a shrouded secret, as we have come a long way from those days. It is sensible if we come up with our problem rather than suffering with it silently.