Actress Shama Sikander Opens Up About Attempting Suicide After Quitting TV: 'Industry Has Unrealistic Expectations'

Shama Sikander rose to fame as the girl-next-door, Pooja Mehra, in the television serial Yeh Meri Life Hai. However, at the height of her career, she quit the television industry and later revealed that she struggled with depression after leaving TV.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, Shama stated that she was burned out, which is why she left the industry. The actress said that she worked on TV without taking a break, which took a toll on her mental health. "I started to feel uneasy, so I decided to stay indoors. I stopped going out and socializing. I was going through depression and even tried to commit suicide but thankfully my parents saved me at the nick of time," she added.

Further, the Baalveer actress stated that her parents were extremely supportive of her, despite not being able to gauge the reason behind her depression and gave her love. Shama said that the television industry has set a lot of unrealistic expectations from people.

"It requires you to be what they perceive of you and slowly and steadily you lose yourself completely in the darkness. When I felt the burnout, I gave up the stardom and industry and took my own time for healing," added Sikander.

Shama shared that she used to be a people-pleaser, which took a toll on her. Lacking boundaries, she constantly felt pressured to be the perfect professional, the perfect daughter, and to excel in all of her relationships.

The actress also revealed that she is not keen on returning to TV as she doesn't want to work for long hours. She said, "I want to enjoy my job and my life as well. I don't prefer working on a Sunday. I'd love to spend at least one day with my close ones and cherish moments that help my soul. This is not possible in TV and thus, I won't make a comeback on TV," she concluded.