Sohum Shah discussed his mental health struggles, revealing his inferiority complex due to poor English skills.
His film Crazxy is running in theatres.
Actor-filmmaker Sohum Shah, celebrating the success of Crazxy, opened up about his mental health struggles on SCREEN’s The Suvir Saran Show. He shared that his difficulty with English led to feelings of inferiority, which prompted him to seek therapy.
Sohum Shah said he used to feel very inferior because he struggled with English. He pointed out that when he started in the industry, not knowing English made it hard to get lead roles in Bollywood. Opening up on it, he said, “There was a time when I used to feel quite inferior. I didn’t know English back then. The time I entered the industry, if you wanted to work in Bollywood but you didn’t know English, you wouldn’t ever get to play main lead characters. Around 2010-12, there was a notion, a class system. I didn’t know Al-Pacino, Game Of Thrones, etc. If you went to clubs, the songs wouldn’t appeal to you, and I would feel like a misfit. I spent a decade like this. I then saw a therapist. I was in a lot of pain. Mental health is of utmost priority. If that is in place, you can solve all other problems.”
The actor-filmmaker said he used to struggle with simple things like ordering a cofee at a café, but things have improved. “I didn’t know how to even order a cappuccino at a café. Now it’s gotten better. I still cannot speak properly, even today. If we go to a high-end restaurant to eat, I ask my wife to order food because it’s tough for me. I knew since 2012 about my mental health issues, but I didn’t go to a therapist because I was scared that I would go mad. I didn’t go because I thought I knew everything and I would fix it. Knowing your issue is one thing, and accepting it is another. It took me 10 years to acknowledge my issues. I never felt ashamed going to therapy. I saw a friend going to one and I started too. Therapy helped me a lot. I think everyone should get therapy today because in today’s world, mental health issues are rampant.”
Meanwhile, Sohum Shah-starrer Crazxy is proving to be a box office dud. Directed by Girish Kohli, the film stars Shah as Dr Abhimanyu Sood, a surgeon who does anything and everything to save his daughter from kidnapping. On Day 2, Crazxy witnessed a slight rise in its net business. It is expected to pick momentum on Day 3 which is a Sunday. Crazxy marks Sohum Shah’s theatrical comeback as an actor after seven years. It also clashed at the box office with Superboys of Malegaon.
