Prasoon Joshi addresses growing depression in film industry amid Babil Khan’s emotional breakdown

Mumbai:  Lyricist and screenwriter Prasoon Joshi has raised concerns about the growing issue of depression in the entertainment industry, especially in light of Babil Khan’s recent emotional breakdown.

In a candid conversation, Joshi highlighted that the focus on money, success, and fame is leading to a society that is not fundamentally happy. He stressed that depression is not confined to the film industry but is a widespread issue, urging for a shift toward genuine happiness and well-being.

When asked about Babil Khan’s recent emotional breakdown, Prasoon Joshi, the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), told IANS, “The question is raised on the basic value system of our society. What is the parameter of success we are following today? What would you call successful? Is it only money? Is it only fame? Is it only clicks? I don’t know how many people are watching this. Many of you have followed a series called “Black Mirror,” in which they have dealt with a lot of these issues of futuristic, this whole too much dependence on social approval and stuff.”

“And also, I think the narrow definition of success, which does not celebrate how good a brother you are, how good a mother you are, how good a friend you are, or how good a person who gives love to other people. I think success only meaning can’t be so narrow. And if we narrowly define success, I think our society will see depression. Because not everybody would be able to match up to those parameters. And I think we need to celebrate a larger human. And for that we’ll have to go back to our value system. I think we need to celebrate a larger human, he added.

Prasoon Joshi went on to mention, “In the entertainment industry, more and more people are falling victim to depression. However, it’s not just in this industry, depression is affecting people everywhere. When we focus solely on money, success, and fame, where will we find true happiness? This means we are creating a society that is not fundamentally happy.”

For the unversed, Babil Khan, son of the late actor Irrfan Khan, recently became the subject of a social media storm following the viral spread of an emotional video. In the clip, Babil was seen breaking down as he candidly spoke about his personal battles and labeled Bollywood as “the most fake industry.” He also named several well-known personalities, such as Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Arjun Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Adarsh Gourav, and singer Arijit Singh.

Subsequently, Babil’s team issued a statement, explaining that the video had been misinterpreted and taken out of context.

–IANS