Dharmendra's death: Why do celebrity deaths feel personal, hit us hard emotionally?

The death of veteran and celebrated actor Dharmendra has left many celebrities and commoners upset. From people calling it an end of era to fans mourning the actor's death very deeply, clearly we have lost a man who ruled many hearts.

Death of someone always has a poignant effect on the mind of individuals. Losing a dear one can turnaround lives of individuals in unprecedented ways. When Dharmendra's death was announced, many commoners shed tears and internalized the loss in ways they would as if they had lost someone very close to them.

Cinema and cricket have always brought together many Indians. We thrive on good cinema. Dharmendra too made his way into the hearts of so many people through his craft. It's interesting how we are able to associate with stars like Dharmendra over the course of some years.

Moneycontrol's team reached out to Dr Pavitra Shankar, Associate Consultant, Psychiatry, Aakash Healthcare, to understand how death of some known personalities affect us so much. "The kind of relationship that commoners like us share with some celebrities is parasocial relationship. Since we have been seeing their faces on our television screens, in our living room and bedroom, we tend to feel closely connected with celebrities. So, naturally, Dharmendra's death left people with a deep sense of loss, grief, and even vulnerability," she shared.

Also read: Dharmendra's bond with his 6 children: A strict, but loved parent!

Dr Shankar also highlighted that social media makes people feel more strongly about everything since a lot of content gets circulated. "So many reels, posts admiring and remembering Dharmendra were doing rounds and it's natural for people to feel emotional about his passing," she added.

Is it normal to feel emotionally charged when a celebrity passes away?

A lot of you may wonder if mourning the loss of a celebrity passing away is a bit much. Well, Dr Shankar doesn't think so. In fact, she feels it is absolutely human to feel emotionally charged on such occasions.

How to cope with grief?

"See, the first thing you have to do is come to terms with your emotions. There's no point in restricting yourself from feeling a certain way. Yes, you can always think of different things to cope with the loss. From journaling your thoughts, creating some art, listening to music to talking about whatever you're feeling with someone, all these can help one cope better," Dr Shankar told Moneycontrol.

Another thing that she advised to people is to reduce exposure to social media and news coverage of the deceased person.

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