Part 3: Bollywood & Indian Cinema — Breaking the Stigma
Content Warning: This post discusses suicide as depicted in Indian cinema. India has one of the highest student suicide rates in the world. If you are struggling: iCall 9152987821 | AASRA: 9820466726 | Vandrevala Foundation: 1860-2662-345
India loses over 150,000 people to suicide every year — one of the highest numbers globally. Student suicides, farmer suicides, and mental health crises are daily realities. Yet for decades, Bollywood treated suicide as either a dramatic plot device or a taboo to be avoided. That began to change in the 2010s.
1. 3 Idiots (2009)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani Starring: Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor Genre: Comedy-Drama IMDB: 8.4/10
The Story
Three engineering students at a fictional top Indian engineering college navigate the crushing pressure of the Indian education system. Joy Lobo, a student who is denied graduation for a delayed project, hangs himself. The film's protagonist Rancho (Aamir Khan) confronts the professor: "Give a man a parachute and he'll jump from any height. But is the parachute to blame?"
Why It Matters
3 Idiots was the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release. It brought the conversation about student suicide in India into every household. The film directly addresses the toxic culture of academic competition, parental pressure, and the "rank or perish" mentality that drives thousands of Indian students to suicide every year.
The Portrayal
- Joy Lobo's suicide: A student is denied graduation because his project was late. He hangs himself in his hostel room. The scene is brief but devastating.
- Raju Rastogi's attempt: After being threatened with expulsion, Raju jumps from the dean's office window. He survives but is in a coma.
- The system as villain: The film doesn't blame individual weakness — it blames the education system that treats students as machines.
Impact in India
The film sparked a national conversation about student suicide in India. It is frequently cited in discussions about education reform and mental health awareness in Indian schools and colleges.
2. Chhichhore (2019)
Director: Nitesh Tiwari Starring: Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma Genre: Comedy-Drama IMDB: 8.3/10
The Story
When Raghav, the son of Anni (Sushant Singh Rajput), fails to get into a top engineering college and attempts suicide, Anni gathers his old college friends to tell Raghav the story of their own "loser" days — and how they found success despite repeated failures.
Why It Matters
Chhichhore is perhaps the most directly anti-suicide Bollywood film ever made. Its entire premise is built around the message: failure is not the end. The film was released in 2019 and became a massive hit, particularly among Indian students and parents.
The Portrayal
The film handles suicide with remarkable sensitivity:
- Raghav's attempt: Shown as a direct result of the pressure to succeed in India's competitive education system.
- The parents' reaction: Anni and his ex-wife Maya realize they inadvertently passed on their own anxieties about success to their son.
- The "loser" narrative: The flashback sequences show that every character who is now successful was once a "failure" — they were the bottom-ranked students in college.
Tragic Irony
In a devastating twist of real life, Sushant Singh Rajput, who played the father delivering the anti-suicide message, died by suicide on June 14, 2020. His death sparked a massive national conversation about mental health in Bollywood and the pressure faced by actors in the Indian film industry.
3. Masaan (2015)
Director: Neeraj Ghaywan Starring: Richa Chadha, Vicky Kaushal, Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra Genre: Drama IMDB: 8.0/10
The Story
Set in Varanasi, Masaan (which means "crematorium") follows two parallel stories: Devi (Richa Chadha), a young woman whose boyfriend dies during a sexual encounter, and Deepak (Vicky Kaushal), a lower-caste boy who falls in love with an upper-caste girl. Both stories involve death, shame, and the weight of Indian social expectations.
Why It Matters
Masaan is one of the most poetically devastating Indian films about suicide and death. It won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival. The film connects suicide to India's rigid caste system, sexual morality, and the geography of death in Varanasi — a city where cremation ghats line the river.
The Portrayal
- Devi's boyfriend dies by suicide after their sexual encounter is discovered. The shame is so overwhelming that he sees no other option.
- Devi is blackmailed by a corrupt police officer who filmed the aftermath. Her father (Sanjay Mishra) sells everything to protect her.
- Deepak's girlfriend Shalu dies by drowning (ambiguous whether intentional). Deepak is devastated — his grief is compounded by the knowledge that their relationship was "forbidden" by caste.
The film shows how Indian society's obsession with honor (izzat) can make suicide feel like the only escape from shame.
4. Dear Zindagi (2016)
Director: Gauri Shinde Starring: Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan Genre: Drama IMDB: 7.4/10
The Story
Kaira (Alia Bhatt) is a talented cinematographer who is struggling with commitment issues, anxiety, and unresolved childhood trauma. After a series of personal and professional crises, she begins therapy with Dr. Jehangir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), who helps her understand and confront her mental health.
Why It Matters
Dear Zindagi is one of the few Bollywood films that normalizes therapy. It doesn't present mental health treatment as something for "crazy people" — it presents it as something for everyone. The film was a commercial and critical success, particularly among young Indian women.
The Portrayal
While Dear Zindagi doesn't depict suicide directly, it addresses the underlying mental health issues that lead to suicidal ideation:
- Childhood abandonment: Kaira was left by her parents with relatives as a child. This trauma shapes all her adult relationships.
- Anxiety and panic attacks: Shown with realistic physical symptoms — racing heart, inability to breathe, feeling of impending doom.
- Stigma around therapy: Kaira's family and friends are skeptical of her seeing a therapist. Her grandmother says: "Pagalon ko doctor ke paas jaate hain" (Only crazy people go to doctors).
The film's message is powerful: seeking help is not weakness — it's strength.
5. Aashiqui 2 (2013)
Director: Mohit Suri Starring: Aditya Roy Kapur, Shraddha Kapoor Genre: Musical Romance IMDB: 7.0/10
The Story
Rahul Jaykar (Aditya Roy Kapur) is a successful singer battling alcoholism and depression. He discovers Aarohi (Shraddha Kapoor), a talented singer, and helps launch her career. But as her star rises, his mental health deteriorates. The film ends with Rahul walking into a river and drowning himself.
Why It Matters
Aashiqui 2 is one of the rare Bollywood films where the protagonist dies by suicide. It doesn't sugarcoat the ending or offer a last-minute rescue. It shows the devastating reality of addiction and depression — that love alone is not always enough to save someone.
The Portrayal
- Rahul's alcoholism: Shown as a symptom of deeper depression, not a character flaw.
- The pressure of fame: Rahul's career decline triggers a spiral of self-destruction.
- Aarohi's helplessness: She loves him but cannot fix him. The film validates the experience of loving someone you cannot save.
The film was a massive commercial success and its soundtrack became one of the best-selling Bollywood albums. It introduced millions of young Indians to the idea that mental illness can affect anyone, even the talented and successful.
Indian Cinema vs. Hollywood: Key Differences
| Aspect | Hollywood | Bollywood/Indian Cinema |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Cause | Mental illness, trauma | Academic pressure, family honor, caste |
| Stigma Level | Decreasing | Still very high |
| Treatment Depicted | Therapy, medication | Rarely shown |
| Ending | Often hopeful | Often tragic |
| Audience | Global | Primarily Indian diaspora |
| Systemic Critique | Individual focus | Systemic (education, caste, society) |
The Indian Context
Indian cinema about suicide must be understood in the Indian context:
- Student suicides: India loses over 10,000 students to suicide every year, many driven by entrance exam pressure (IIT-JEE, NEET, UPSC).
- Farmer suicides: Over 300,000 farmers have died by suicide since 1995, driven by debt, crop failure, and government neglect.
- Honor suicides: In some communities, suicide is seen as preferable to "dishonor" — particularly for women.
- Mental health access: India has only 0.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 people (compared to 16 in the US).
These films don't just tell stories — they reflect a national crisis.
What's Next?
In Part 4, we explore Asian Cinema — Japanese anime like A Silent Voice, Korean thrillers, and the unique ways East Asian filmmakers have approached suicide and mental health.
Next Part: Asian Cinema — Japan, Korea & Beyond →
Comments
Comments are powered by giscus. Set
PUBLIC_GISCUS_REPO_IDandPUBLIC_GISCUS_CATEGORY_IDin your environment to enable them.