in
‘Qila Kahani’, ‘Hairatkada’, ‘Zard Gulab’, ‘Darwaza’, and ‘Kiran Kahani’,
refuse to lose their appeal among performing arts lovers.
That is the beauty of art, which makes people’s lives and
memories refreshing and gives them a purpose to reflect on their lives and
society.
Away from the TV screen, Roohi’s life was a bumpy ride,
including an attempt on her life. However, a tragedy that changed her life for
the worse was the cold-blooded murder of only son Ali, in 2005. She couldn’t
fully recover from the shock of losing her son. The incident took a heavy toll
on her health, especially her mental wellbeing.
However, her mental health issues had not grown
overnight. Her colleagues of the 70s and 80s have recalled that she would often
suffer prolonged fits of rage and laughter at work, and in personal life but
the limelight of her glamour, fame, and persona did not allow her or her family
members to take the symptoms seriously. Herself a psychology graduate from the
Government College University, Lahore, Roohi remained unable to read her
symptoms to move to treatment in a timely manner.
While Roohi’s death is a loss for the TV drama industry,
the suffering during her life must also serve as a reminder to the authorities
of the need for a well-functioning mental health infrastructure in the society.
Coincidentally, this January has been marked as the month
to raise awareness about mental health issues across the country by the
Pakistan Association for Mental Health. However, the events held for the
purpose have remained far from media glare and government’s interest. According
to the association, 20 percent of the Pakistani population is suffering from
mental health issues. The need of the hour is to accept this reality and come
up with measures for a stress-free environment and more treatment facilities.
Some mental health issues are the byproduct of stress
factors, while many are linked to genetic and physical causes. With just 75
in-patient facilities, the enormity of the figures demands more such clinics
across the country.
Roohi Bano was buried in Turkey. Though, her sister wants
to bring her body back to Lahore to bury her next to the grave of her son. She
has appealed to the government to help the family pay for the air transport.
That’s a cost the state must readily incur to honour the memory of the
legendary actor.
Courtesy: Daily Times
