Agastya Nanda, the grandson of actor Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, may appear to have an easy existence, but in a recent podcast with his sister Navya Naveli, he candidly disclosed going through a “bad phase of anxiety” during the shooting and release of his debut, The Archies (2023).

He revealed that religion and spirituality helped him overcome his nervousness and anxiety: “We’re so used to getting things in an instant that it’s easy to lose faith. It came naturally to me; I became religious and spiritual. When I started acting, I didn’t know if people would like me. So, I did my best and left the rest to God, to keep faith in something beyond me.” He added, “Whoever you believe in, whether it’s God, or energy. If you just pass on that burden, it relieves you.”

Sharing how he also found help online, Agastya said, “Today, in the times that we are in now, there’s a lot of stuff that can exhaust us. But there are a lot of available platforms to seek help. You can simply go on YouTube and say, ‘How do I feel less anxious? How do I feel more confident? How do I feel happy? How do I feel secure?’ All these things are out there. I searched on YouTube, ‘I’m feeling anxious, what do I do?’ I swear, it sounds stupid [but I did it].”

Agastya, who is gearing up for his second film, Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan, also went on to discuss subjects such as toxic masculinity and male vulnerability on the podcast. He shared, “I believe you should embrace both your masculine and feminine sides, and show emotions. I show emotion, I am in touch with my feminine side. I believe in a healthy balance of both. I’ve never been told not to show emotions, so I don’t think it’s wrong.”