Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia, who portrays therapist Madhu in “Perfect Family,” opened up about her character and the importance of addressing mental health. The ‘Chup Chup Ke’ actress shared insights into how the film approaches sensitive issues, aiming to spark meaningful conversations among audiences.
Speaking about the core idea of coping mechanisms, Neha shared in a statement, “I also think there are two types of coping mechanisms good ones and bad ones. Good coping mechanisms can be many things; like we discussed earlier, Girija said her coping mechanism is music and singing, while mine is going for a run.”
“But in the trailer, you see Niti and Vishnu using coping mechanisms that are very unhealthy or at least unhealthy to a certain extent. And that’s exactly the point: before you reach a stage where you depend on an unhealthy coping mechanism, why not seek help?
You need that one person who isn’t family, isn’t a friend, isn’t biased, and can simply tell you, ‘This isn’t good for you; let’s pull you back before you get there.” Talking about why the script resonated with her, she shared, “For me, when the script came, the timing of my life, the timing of the script, and everything happening in society aligned perfectly.
It felt important that someone should take this subject and make something on it. Some stories act like a stepping point, like a diving board before you jump into the deep end. Therapy is also a jump into the deep end. One part is believing you need therapy; the harder part is telling someone else, ‘I really think you should seek help.”
Reflecting on society’s view of therapy, Neha mentioned, “I think there is still a long way to go, and I don’t know when that gap will finally be bridged. If a daughter feels she needs therapy, people judge her — even parents say, ‘Why do you need it? You’re fine.’
But when you watch Perfect Family, you see it’s all of us, you, me, her.” “Somewhere, we all feel suppressed; somewhere, we stop ourselves from speaking up, and that’s conditioning. I hope Perfect Family inspires people to understand therapy, communication, co-existing, and undoing those layers with love, space, happiness, and respect.”
“Perfect Family” directed by Sachin Pathak, also stars Manoj Pahwa, Seema Pahwa, Girija Oak, and Gulshan Devaiah. It is set to release on 27th November on the Jar Series YouTube channel. The series is produced by Ajay Rai of Jhaar Pictures, with Mohit Chhabra and Pankaj Tripathi as the debut producer.