Riddhi Siddhi Mandal in JB Nagar, Andheri, in its 49th year, has pledged to spread awareness about ‘mental health’ this Ganesh festival. They have created an interesting 15-minute live drama called ‘Jiyo Jee Bhar Ke’, which shows how mental health affects Mumbaikars and how people can make changes in their lives.
This special pandal to control suicide and make people aware
To manage it better, you can seek help if needed. Mumbaikars are generally peace loving, but in recent times, a trend has been seen in people losing their patience easily. Due to which incidents of suicide, road rage, anger outbursts, etc. are increasing, which is a cause of concern. The skit is a black comedy, which begins with Lord Yama complaining about people’s increasing mental health issues and sometimes ending their lives suddenly, so he has to work overtime. The two come into action and save a young student who cannot cope with life due to her impulsive behavior and peer pressure.
mental health care by a psychologist
They arrive in time to save a man who is caught up in the race of life and is about to jump off the Bandra Sea Link as he feels he has lost the purpose of life. The show ends with a psychologist giving tips on the importance of mental health and managing daily situations. This black comedy gives the audience valuable life lessons on mental health in an entertaining way. Mental health not only harms the individual but also his family, professional life and society. Despite the progress in the country, the suicide rate has doubled in the last 20 years, which is a matter of concern.
15 minute drama
Over the past decades, the mandal has been raising various social issues like women empowerment, importance of family bond, party-hopping tendency of politicians, crumbling city infrastructure, support to transgenders, debunking fake news, etc. through live drama skits. The mandal’s Ganesh idol is also made of eco-friendly and natural components. It takes around two months to make the Ganesh idol as it takes a lot of time to dry and get ready. Their live show is currently attracting huge crowds and is being highly appreciated.
Dinesh Chindarkar (one of the organisers) said, ‘Every year, we take up a social issue and create awareness about it. We hear a lot of incidents of people jumping from the sea link or even in front of local trains. Now it is time to create awareness among people on a larger scale. Though the stress levels have increased, leading to anxiety and depression, there are ways to deal with them. Awareness is very important and we should not hesitate to talk about it with people close to us or seek help if needed.
This is the message we want to give through this play. Now the time has come to talk openly about this topic and remove the taboos around it. Kiran Patel (one of the organisers) said, ‘Our Ganesh idol is made of tissue paper, alum and natural glue, which makes it eco-friendly. It takes a lot of time to make the idol and it is challenging to make it during the monsoon season. But now the time has come for all of us to understand the reality of saving our environment. We are also doing immersion in an artificial pond locally so that the sea is not polluted.
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