Chennai, Sep 9 — Sharing details of his battle with depression and stress, actor and producer Vishnu Vishal, who is now basking in the success of his blockbuster film 'Gatta Kusthi 2', has urged his fans and followers not to wait for big successes to live life and not to sacrifice every small moment of happiness for some imaginary big picture.

Taking to his X timeline to pen a heartfelt post on his battle against depression and anxiety, Vishnu Vishal wrote, "In 2020, I shared something very personal with all of you through a letter. I spoke openly about my battle with depression and stress which I started experiencing from 2018. It’s 2026 now. Eight years have passed. A lot has changed. But some things, surprisingly, remain the same. I wanted to share a little about my journey with anxiety and depression, and more importantly, what these eight years have taught me."

He went on to say, "Ever since I entered cinema, every passing year came with the hope that I would eventually “settle down” and have a stable life. I was always a big introvert, so adapting to this industry, to people, to the constant uncertainty and to the emotional highs and lows was challenging and, at times, painful. Slowly and steadily, after many successful films, just when I thought I was beginning to find my feet with RATSASAN, my personal life took a setback. That was when I first experienced the signs of depression and anxiety."

Pointing out that he kept diverting himself towards work, he said that he convinced himself that if he focused completely on his career, if he gave everything he had, eventually one BIG BLOCKBUSTER would change everything he felt.

"Then came COVID and the uncertainty that followed. My anxiety only grew. I didn’t give up. I fought back and gave big successes in FIR and Gatta Kusthi post-COVID, and I thought, 'Okay… now everything will be fine.' But the next few years brought their own challenges. False promises by a few directors and producers made me extend my committed dates and, at times, even sit idle for months just to honour my commitments and keep my word. All this without getting paid even for my original committed dates," he recalled.

Vishnu said that he kept believing that relationships were more important and that the money would eventually come and so he continued to sacrifice, only to realise that the extra time and work were never going to be compensated.

"At the same time, running a production house came with the responsibility of ensuring that everyone was paid on time, because I believed it was the right thing to do. Many lives and families depended on it. This added to the financial pressure I was already facing. Balancing these responsibilities became a constant pressure. The anxiety kept increasing and it evolved into an auto-immune condition. Over these eight years, I have had multiple counselling sessions. For the last three years especially, I have been very regular with therapy. I have also taken medication for anxiety and depression on a few occasions, under professional guidance," he explained.

Vishnu Vishal said that through all of this, he understood a lot more about himself and that for the first time after 17 years in this career, he understood how important it was to be paid the money he rightfully deserved and also realised how people were not living up to their word and making use of his kindness.

"Somewhere deep down, I still believed that I needed to give that ONE HUGE BLOCKBUSTER HIT… and then everything inside my head would fall into place.

I again refused to give up and give in. And here I am, two months after the huge success of Gatta Kusthi 2. And...nothing has changed," he said.

"It sounds weird saying that. RIGHT? Every time I achieve something I have worked incredibly hard for, the feeling changes. I feel happy, relieved and fulfilled.But only for a few days.And then, somehow, I am back to the same anxious mind. The same emptiness. The same feeling that I need to achieve something else. And now, slowly, I think I am finally beginning to understand something. The next big success is not going to fix anything forever," he explained.

"From the age of 13 when I started my career as a cricketer, all I wanted was to be successful. I wanted my work to be noticed and appreciated by this world.

Somewhere along the way, while chasing the BIG PICTURE, I lost many small, beautiful moments. I missed special family occasions. I missed time with people I love. I went the extra mile without thinking enough about money. I didn’t save enough when I could have. I compromised on my health at times," he said.

"Today, at 42, when I look back, I realise how quickly time has passed. My parents have aged. My son is 9. Time is flying.My relationship with my son’s mother has grown beautifully. I have a loving and caring wife, and a beautiful daughter. And yet, there are days when I still wonder if I should just quit cinema, walk away from all this uncertainty and live a simple life. Then another thought comes… What was all the struggle for? Maybe the answer isn’t to quit. Maybe the answer is to stop postponing life until everything becomes perfect. Cinema will never be completely stable," he said.

Stating that actors go through enormous emotional and mental turmoil and that it was exhausting, Vishnu said, "But life is happening alongside all of this. And I don’t want to wait for another big achievement to start living it. So this is a reminder to myself, and maybe to someone reading this who is in the same boat as an actor or in any stream of life: Don’t sacrifice every small moment of happiness for some imaginary big picture."

He explained, "Yes, earn the money you rightly deserve. Save and plan for the future. But also live.Celebrate the small wins. Cherish the ordinary days. Spend time with your parents. Spend time with your children. Be there for the people who love you. Take care of your health. Call your friends. Go on that holiday. Sit down and have that meal with your family. Laugh. Live. Because ultimately, none of us know how much time we have. There will always be another target. Another film. Another number. Another milestone. Another thing that we think will finally make us happy. But life is not waiting at the finish line. Life is happening right now."

He ended the post with a suggestion for those fighting anxiety or depression. "I just want to say this: It’s okay.You don’t have to have everything figured out.Get help. Talk to someone. Go to therapy. Take care of yourself. We may learn to live with it, or we may overcome it. But we don’t have to succumb to it.To everyone who has been silently fighting their own battles — you are not alone.We are all in this together. Take care of yourselves.And please…Never give up. And don’t forget to LIVE."

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