How LLL’s Anisha Padukone is transforming lives in rural India with better mental health

In 2016, actor Deepika Padukone founded Bengaluru-based LiveLoveLaugh (LLL) Foundation, a charitable trust that aims to give hope to every person experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression. The actor has been very vocal about her struggles with mental health and continues to advocate seeking help and treatment.

As CEO of Live Love Laugh, Deepika’s sister, Anisha Padukone, spearheads the organisation’s efforts in the mental health sector, focusing on delivering impactful change in marginalised communities.

At SheSparks—YourStory’s flagship event for women—as part of the TransformHERS talk, Anisha took the audience through LLL’s journey over the years, transforming the lives of people in rural India with better mental health.

As an example, she explained at length the struggles of Sasikala—a woman in a village in Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu—and how LLL’s intervention helped her in timely diagnosis and treatment to lead a life as before.

“Sasikala was depressed and wandering through her village, sometimes resorting to self-harm. She wasn’t able to take care of her two children. She had to travel 2-3 hours to Chennai for any kind of mental health support. This cost the family around Rs 2,000-3,000 per month, and because of the financial strain, she stopped her medication and her condition worsened,” Anisha explained.

After Sasikala was identified as a beneficiary of LLL’s rural programme, run in partnership with the NGO Vasantham Foundation, she received help and medication at the nearest primary healthcare centre.

“She also received access to government schemes, a disability pension of Rs 1,500 a month, and once her condition stabilised, she was given Rs 5,000 with which she started her own business selling snacks and contributing to the family income,” she added.

According to Anisha, LLL’s programme for rural India is based on three key approaches": right information and awareness to individuals and families, access to resources, and affordability of treatment.

In Sasikala’s case, Anisha pointed out that her mother played a crucial role in bringing her back to stability. She also attended various support group discussions and is also a caregiver champion, advocating caregiver rights and mental health for all.

The programme also trains community workers like the ASHA and Aanganwadi workers, auxiliary nurses, and midwives to provide crucial and right information on mental health to beneficiaries and caregivers. They also follow up on how the beneficiaries are faring and offer guidance on the way forward.

“We also work closely with the district administration while choosing a particular location and beneficiaries for the programme..., and over time, the community becomes self-sustaining. We started the programme in Davangere six years ago, and it’s fully self-sustained now, largely due to the cooperation of the various stakeholders,” Anisha said.

LLL's rural model has reached out to 15,000 beneficiaries and 26,000 caregivers across 13 districts in six states.

“Our aim is to scale this model as much as possible and transform many more lives,” she added.