On World Suicide Prevention Day, some of India’s acting icons,Ratna Pathak Shah, Gajraj Rao, Kumud Mishra, Sheeba Chadda, Shishir Sharma and Ayesha Raza Mishra came together for a new video by youth platform Yuvaa (@weareyuvaa), to implore the Gen Z youth of India to talk to their parents when they feel low, anxious, depressed or suicidal. The video is directed by Love Per Square Foot and Bang Baaja Baaraat director, Anand Tiwari, who is one of the co-founders of Yuvaa. #TalktoThem
The video, called ‘Talk To Them’, has brought together the youth’s favourite screen parents from some of India’s most successful web series and films to spread awareness about teenage and young adult suicides, by directly addressing the youth. The actors are all parents in their real lives too, and through the video, they use their friendliness and on-screen relatability to point out the love that all parents have for their children, even if they are unable to express it.
Earlier in the year, Yuvaa went to 26 cities and 70+ colleges across India to speak and listen to the youth, and found that there is a mental health crisis amongst the youth, and a lot of it is because of the generation and communication gap between their parents and them. The fact is, because of mobile phones, the internet and social media, today’s children are feeling alienated from their parents because they are unable to talk to them. And this video tries to explain both sides of the parent-children divide, asking the Gen Z to make the first step.
But the video aims at getting young people to reach out and take help not only from their parents but also from suicide helplines, that are mentioned in the video. Yuvaa has partnered with Instagram, Ishq FM and MissMalini.com to help give the message the widest possible reach. It has also partnered with multiplemental health organisations like Fortis Hospital, TISS Mumbai, Center for Mental Health and Law Policy, Pune, It’s Ok to Talk and Samaritans Mumbai, so the message reaches the right audience in theright way.
Yuvaa will also be doing a week long activation on its Instagram page (www.instagram.com/weareyuvaa) by doing live chats with mental health experts and therapists to spread awareness about suicide prevention.