'Wanted To Shoot Myself At 17': Pawan Kalyan Shares His Overwhelming Struggle With Depression

(Trigger Warning: This story is about mental health disorders and depression. If you feel suicidal or know someone in distress, please reach out to them with kindness or contact local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs.)

They're rich and famous, but that doesn't mean celebrities can't be vulnerable or are immune to depression or other mental health disorders.

Due to their public lives, celebrities are more likely to have depression risk factors like trouble sleeping, unemployment, constantly changing work schedules, and drug use.

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When a celebrity 'breaks the internet', constant tabloid scrutiny can cause guilt, embarrassment, and insecurity.

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Pawan Kalyan talked openly with NBK Nandamuri Balakrishna about his struggles with depression, including a time when he was a teen and thought about killing himself.

Pawan Kalyan

"My struggles with depression were overwhelming, but I fought through it," says Tollywood's 'Power Star Pawan Kalyan in the upcoming episode of 'Unstoppable 2 with NBK.

On February 10, the Telugu OTT service aha will stream the much-anticipated series finale.?

Part one of the show set a kind of record for the most app downloads in the first five minutes after its release.

"I have asthma and felt isolated due to frequent hospitalizations. Therefore, I'm not much of a social person. At 17, the pressure of exams only added to my depression, and I remember planning to take my own life using the licensed revolver of my eldest brother (Chiranjeevi) when he was not in the house," Pawan Kalyan recalled.

Timely intervention from his elder brother (Nagababu) and sister-in-law (Surekha) saved him in the nick of time.

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"My brother (Chiranjeevi) told me, 'Live for me. If you don't do anything, that's fine. But please live.' From then on, I taught myself and found solace in reading books, practicing Carnatic music, martial arts, and other pursuits," Pawan Kalyan said.

Today, Pawan Kalyan is a source of inspiration for many, having channeled his struggles into a successful acting and political career.?

"Don't compare yourself to others. Compete only with yourself," Pawan Kalyan said, adding: "Knowledge and success come with hard work, and what we endure today will shape our tomorrow. Be the best version of yourself."

(With ANI inputs)

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