Mumbai: Championing the cause of mental health awareness among its Indian audiences, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Royal Rajasthan Foundation (RRF) have come together to launch the #KhulKeBolo campaign. The campaign film features Sonali Kulkarni, who spotlights women's lives and experiences from all spectrums of society, highlighting the mental health challenges faced and the need for awareness to deal with them. The campaign launch saw in attendance people from different walks of life like Artscape – actor and founder Kamalika Guha Thakurta, Bombay Hospital consultant psychiatrist Dr Akanksha Rathi Maheshwari; Dr Priyanka Mahajan - consultant neuropsychiatrist, Masina Hospital, Diksha Sekhri – architect (Community Impact), Royal Rajasthan Foundation along with Manu Wadhwa – CHRO, SPNI and Ranjit Barthakur – chairperson, Royal Rajasthan Foundation, accompanied by campaign ambassador Sonali Kulkarni, who was part of an engaging panel discussion around the importance of speaking up and being heard.
Women in India often experience unique social, cultural, and economic factors that can significantly impact their mental well-being. One of the key factors affecting women's mental health in India is gender inequality. According to experts, there is also a stark shortage of mental health professionals in the country, with less than one per cent of the country's total health budget being allocated for mental health wellness, creating a treatment gap of 70-80 per cent. These factors, coupled with the stigmatisation in society around the topic and the lack of access to mental health infrastructure, have continued to be a challenge for women from various walks of life in the country.
A study conducted by RRF to understand the mental health requirements of female cricketers in India concluded that 71 per cent of adolescent girls and 76 per cent of women find it difficult to ask for help when needed. The campaign #KhulKeBolo is an attempt by SPNI and RRF to create a safe space for such women to speak up and seek the help and support they need without hesitation.
As a part of the campaign, the NGO Sangath has offered their toll-free helpline number 011-41198666, which is operational every day between 10 am to 6 pm IST, for women to talk to mental health experts and seek guidance and support. This NGO will also run offline workshops with the backing of RRF across 15 villages in Rajasthan during the campaign. In addition to these, SPNI & RRF have also partnered with Coto, a social communities app for women only – to build online communities and host workshops for women across different cities to maximise the impact.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) Managing Director and CEO N.P. Singh said, "Women are integral to our organisation, and we have always supported and encouraged women's empowerment. The #KhulKeBolo campaign is a poignant reminder of the mental health challenges that many women fight daily. Our partnership with RRF is driven by a shared vision to break the taboo of silence around mental health issues."
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) chief human resource officer Manu Wadhwa said, “At SPNI, we are dedicated to the cause of inclusion and women in our workforce who form an integral part of our D&I strategy. We are committed to ensuring that women within our organisation and around the country are given fair, equitable opportunities and platforms for getting support on their growth journey. Through the #KhulKeBolo campaign, we endeavour to destigmatise mental health conversations and create a safe space for women to express their issues without worrying or fearing being judged and shamed. In partnership with Royal Rajasthan Foundation, this initiative is a step towards dismantling the stigma, empowering women to seek help and find solace in their journey to healing”.
The #KhulKebolo campaign ambassador Sonali Kulkarni said, “While mental health issues have existed in our society across gendered differences, it is important to recognise how it affects women in more ways than one. Talking about mental health is still taboo and pushes many struggling people behind the curtain. Everyone needs to get the help they need without being shamed. I feel proud to be a part of something as meaningful as #KhulKeBolo, which helps bring the much-needed change in this space".
Royal Rajasthan Foundation chairperson Ranjit Barthakur said, "Here at the Royal Rajasthan Foundation - the philanthropic arm of IPL team Rajasthan Royals - our journey towards raising awareness around mental health started in 2020 with our series 'Mind, Body and Soul' which was led by our first-ever Royal - the late Shane Warne. As we launch the #KhulKeBolo campaign in collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India, we continue that journey to break the shackles of silence surrounding women's mental health. We pledge to bridge the gap between questions and solutions, fostering an atmosphere where seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. As the understanding of mental health evolves, we must treat this subject as intrinsic to everyone and not as a separate subject. Keeping this in mind, we are working towards a larger vision of making mental health awareness and destigmatisation a vital part of our work across all our projects. Let's paint a brighter, happier canvas for all the wonderful women out there!"
Sony Pictures Networks India is the consumer-facing identity of Culver Max Entertainment Pvt Ltd, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, Japan.
The company has several channels including Sony Entertainment Television (SET and SET HD), one of India's leading Hindi general entertainment television channels; Sony MAX, India's premium Hindi movies and special events channel; Sony MAX 2, another Hindi movie channel showcasing great India Cinema; Sony MAX HD, a high definition Hindi movie channel airing premium quality films; Sony WAH, the Hindi movies channel for rural markets; Sony SAB and Sony SAB HD the family-oriented Hindi entertainment channels; Sony PAL, a genre leader in rural Hindi speaking markets (HSM) showcasing the best of Hindi general entertainment and Hindi movies from its content library; Sony PIX and Sony PIX HD, Sony BBC Earth and Sony BBC Earth HD, the premium factual entertainment channels, Sony AATH, the Bangla entertainment channel; Sony YAY!, the kids entertainment channel; Sony Sports Network – Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 1 HD, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 2 HD, Sony Sports Ten 3, Sony Sports Ten 3 HD, Sony Sports Ten 4, Sony Sports Ten 4 HD, Sony Sports Ten 5, Sony Sports Ten 5 HD; Sony Marathi, the Marathi general entertainment channel; Sony LIV - the digital entertainment VOD platform and Studio NEXT the independent production venture for original content and IPs for TV and digital media. The Company reaches over 700 million viewers in India and is available in 167 countries.
The company is recognised as an employer of choice within and outside the media industry. It is a recipient of several awards, including India's best companies to Work for 2021 by the Great Place to Work Institute, India, 'Aon Best Employers India' awards in recognition of the company's unique workplace culture and exceptional people practices, consistently ranked amongst India's top 10 companies with best health & wellness practices by SHRM & CGP partners and listed by Working Mother & AVTAR as one of the 100 best companies for women in India.
The company is in its 28 years of operations in India. Besides having overseas subsidiaries, it has a subsidiary MSM-Worldwide Factual Media Pvt Ltd and an affiliate, Bangla Entertainment Pvt Ltd, in India.
