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'Mental Hai Kya' Poster Is Out And Mental Health Experts On Twitter Aren't Happy

While #MentalHaiKya began trending on Twitter, many people pointed out how problematic the imagery of the Rajkummar Rao-Kangana Ranaut starrer's poster was.
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On Wednesday, Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Motion Pictures released a motion poster for Mental Hai Kya, a film starring Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao.

In a tweet that’s meant to be a pun on the razor blades in the poster, the production company said, “Get ready for craziness that cuts through.”

The film also stars actors like Amyra Dastur, Amrita Puri, Jimmy Shergill and reportedly, reported “extended cameo” by none other than Shah Rukh Khan.

From the looks of it, the film seems to deal with the sensitive subject of mental health and perhaps aims to begin a conversation on the topic. However, many people may find the imagery of the posters triggering.

The motion poster begins with the message “This June, witness two mentals collide”. Then it shows a cross-eyed Ranaut (yep, really) and Rao showing us the middle finger.

In one of the photos, Rao stubs out a cigarette on his forehead while Ranaut put out a lit a matchstick with her tongue. There’s also a photo of Rao with crime scene tape around him and Ranaut in a chalk body outline with bloodstains nearby. Then comes the actual poster where Rao and Ranaut are balancing a razor blade on their tongues.

While hashtag #MentalHaiKya began trending on Twitter, with some people saying they couldn’t wait to watch the film, there were others (especially mental health experts) who pointed out how problematic the imagery was. The film does boast of an award-winning director and a talented cast, but the photos have made them wonder if the film will do justice to the misunderstood subject.

Not much is known yet about the film and how it plans to deal with the topic, but the posters, unfortunately, resort to the same hackneyed stereotypes and mental health activists and professionals have been fighting against.

Here are some reactions from Twitter:

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.