Over the years, several steps have been taken to remove the taboo on mental health and normalise it. After Deepika Padukone, Shaheen Bhatt, Karan Singh Grover, Trishala Dutt, Navya Naveli Nanda, Shamita Shetty, Anushka Sharma, Sameera Reddy, Ileana D'Cruz, Hazel Keech Singh and a couple of other celebrities, Aamir Khan and his ex-wife, Reena Datta's daughter, Ira Khan shared her journey with depression. Taking a different route from her father's profession, Ira chose to stay behind the camera and had already made her directorial debut.
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On Mental Health Day 2020, which is observed on October 10 every year, Ira Khan had shared her journey with depression and how she has been dealing with the same for the past five years. Since then, Ira had opened up quite a few times on her struggle with depression and is addressing the topic of mental health through her IG handle.
Ira Khan founded an NPO (Not for Profit) company, Agatsu Foundation and among her friends, who welcomed her venture, her mother, Reena Datta and step-mom, Kiran Rao too extended their support. Reena and Kiran joined the introductory video to say a quick 'hi' to Agastu. Ira began the video by saying, "On my 21st birthday, I got a tattoo. It says, 'if we won't, who will?' It's cheesy and corny, I know but I meant it and I mean it. And today is, I think, my first tangible step at embarking or embracing my tattoo." Announcing the registration of her foundation, Ira continued, "I have registered a section 8 company called Agatsu Foundation, and it launches today. Agastu is my attempt, it's my way of trying to find a balance, of trying to attain equilibrium to make my life better for me, to facilitate you in making your life better for you, whatever that means for you."
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Speaking about her battle with clinical depression from the past four years, Ira Khan had earlier said, "Hi, I'm depressed. I have been for more than four years now. I've been to a doctor and I'm clinically depressed. I'm doing much better now. For over a year now, I wanted to do something for mental health, but I wasn't sure what to do. I have decided to take you on a journey - my journey - and see what happens. Hopefully, we'll get to know ourselves and understand mental illness slightly better. I've thought of so many things to say. What should I say? Why am I doing this?" Ira had concluded with "Let's start from where I started. What do I have to be depressed about? Who am I to be depressed? I have everything, right?"
Soon after Ira Khan's video became viral on social media, Kangana Ranaut had compared her story to the star kid's and commented on how difficult it is for children from 'broken families'. Kangana had tweeted, "At 16 I was facing physical assault, was single handedly taking care of my sister who was burnt with acid and also facing media wrath, there can be many reasons for depression but it’s generally difficult for broken families children, traditional family system is very important." Revealing that they are not a 'broken family', Ira had later said, "When I was small, my parents got divorced. But that didn't seem like something that would traumatise me because my parents' divorce was amicable. They are friends, the whole family is still friends. We are not a broken family by any means."
It was in 2019 when Ira had made her directorial debut with a theatre production, Euripides' Medea. The play was an adaptation of Euripides' Greek tragedy, Medea and had starred her brother, Junaid Khan and actress, Hazel Keech. Announcing the same on her IG handle, Ira had written, "Euripiedes' Medea. My first play. My first properly professional endeavour. I can't wait for everyone to watch it! Come and hopefully you will walk out feeling what only a great work of storytelling can make you feel."
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Congratulations to Ira for her new venture!
