Director Prakash Jha comes out in support of mental health warriors

In an unusual move, director Prakash Jha, known for his hard-hitting grassroots films that force society to address issues that affect ordinary people, came out in support of mental health warriors. Jha remarked at the fourth edition of The Restore Awards, hosted at Taj Lands End in Mumbai, “It’s time to treat mental health at par with physical health. When you have an accident or heart attack, you run to the doctor. But when we have an emotional breakdown, we hush it. Unmute yourself.”

Jha addressed his attendance at the awards event, which recognises and rewards mental health warriors, healers, physicians, and sustainability entrepreneurs, by saying“These awards are the catalyst between those struggling with emotional health issues, often without family support, and therapists, doctors who are doing impactful work in the space of mental wellbeing. With my presence, I support and applaud these on-ground angels impacting their communities.”

Rachna Chhachhi, cancer nutrition specialist and founder of The Restore AwardsTM, stated, “It just took one email from us for him to agree to stand for this cause and be our chief guest at the awards. Normally, we have had been told celebrities charge but Prakashji immediately agreed because the cause is bigger than any of us.”

Some of the winners include Karan Shah, a 24-year-old wheelchair-bound muscular dystrophy patient, who is pushing BMC to build wheelchair-friendly toilets in public places; Dr. Deepti Pinto Rosario, a gynaecologist who works hard after hospital and clinical hours to spread awareness and dispel myths about women’s health – sexual health, puberty, adolescent health, reproductive years, postpartum, and menopause; and Chaise Freidman, Los Angeles-based fighter who grew paralysed from the neck down over the course of two years, defying doctors’ predictions that he would never be able to walk again.