Lights, Camera, Stigma? Bollywood's Depiction of Mental Health Professionals: A Scoping Review

Bollywood (Hindi cinema) is a powerful global medium that shapes public attitudes toward mental healthcare. This scoping review systematically maps and characterizes the portrayal of mental health professionals (MHPs) in contemporary Bollywood films to identify dominant stereotypes, representational patterns, and potential gaps in representation.

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Arksey and O'Malley framework. A systematic search of online databases identified Hindi-language films released between 2011 and 2024. Inclusion criteria were applied to select films featuring MHP characters. Data from each portrayal were systematically charted to analyze demographics, professional competence, ethics, and narrative function. Thirty-five films featured 42 distinct MHP portrayals. The findings revealed a consistent pattern of negative representation. MHPs were presented as minor, unnamed characters with ambiguous professional status. MHPs were frequently portrayed with clinical incompetence (>70%) and major ethical violations (>73%), with these harmful stereotypes appearing persistent over the decade. A culturally specific pattern emerged where supernatural narratives frequently invalidate MHP expertise. Psychotherapy, though depicted, was often caricatured or undermined, and treatment outcomes were typically ineffective. A significant gap was identified concerning the lack of nuanced or positive MHP role models.

The systematic misrepresentation of MHPs in Bollywood portrayals risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes, trivializing professional care, and discouraging help-seeking in a country already facing a vast treatment gap. This review highlights an urgent need for the film industry to move beyond caricature and to create more accurate, ethical, and humanizing portrayals that can contribute positively to public mental health literacy.