Over the years, many Bollywood stars have spoken about how alcohol and drug addiction derailed their careers and cost them their personal growth. Their decision to be honest in front of their fans has helped other alcoholics and addicts find the courage they need to start their battle against addiction. Scroll down to know about these Bollywood stars who struggled with addiction:
Pooja Bhatt
During her stay in the Bigg Boss OTT 2 house, Pooja got real about how she got out of alcohol addiction when she was 44. During a chat with Cyrus Broacha, she shared “I had a drinking problem, and that’s why I acknowledged my addiction and made the decision to quit. I used to drink openly so when I thought of recovering from alcoholism, I realised that why should I recover in the closet?”
Prateik Babbar
Prateik was just 13 when he started experimenting with drugs. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, he spoke about how he became hooked on narcotics to escape his ‘disturbed childhood’. “Constantly faced with the internal dilemma, the voices in my head debating where I belong and who I am, drugs came disguised as a glitzy escape. As years went by, I got acquainted with the narcotic underbelly,” shared the actor. Fortunately, he realised the error of his ways and worked on his recovery.
Manisha Koirala
Manisha opened up about her alcohol addiction in her book, Healed: How Cancer Gave Me A New Life. The Dil Se star penned, “It seeped into my life and I did not realize that it would put my life upside down. We start alcohol by thinking it’s helping, but that’s really not the solution. In life, be it relationships or alcohol, we need to be the master of the situation and not the victim.“
Javed Akhtar
It is hard to imagine Javed Akhtar doing anything wrong. After all, he is the most celebrated Bollywood writer of our time. But there was a time when Javed was struggling with alcohol addiction. In an interview with a digital platform, he shared, “People often say that I have no regrets. But I have regrets. I really believe that out of these 75 years, my 10 years were totally wasted in drinking. I could’ve used those years, which I scattered all over my life, in a more constructive manner by learning one more language or a musical instrument.“
Dharmendra
Dharmendra has been quite vocal about how he found it hard to control his drinking. In an April 2013 interview, the actor confessed that he almost ruined his life due to drinking. “I had destroyed myself as an actor with my drinking habit in the past,” he said.
It takes courage to admit you are struggling and it takes even more courage to win over it. Kudos to these Bollywood stars who shared their stories with the world.
Featured Image: Instagram
