Mumbai, Nov 20 (IANS): Actor Namit Das says mental health for men, especially in the South Asian region, should not be ignored.

"Mental health for men in the South Asian region especially cannot be ignored any longer. Gender norms hardwired into our culture for millennials have come in the way of favourable changes in our mindsets. The pandemic has been the worst nightmare of artistes and freelancers, who are trying to cope with the new normal," Namit said.

The actor is doing his bit by raising awareness about the issue through Fire Ltd & UK Asian Film Festival's #TalkingTherapyMen campaign.

"While all of this is going on, I'm glad and very relieved that a counselling service has been established for South Asian artistes based in the UK. We must appreciate the men of the world too and nurture their mental wellbeing. I'm positive this initiative will make the right noise and impact in that respect," he added.

The actor has lent his voice to the campaign to highlight the importance of addressing mental health issues and seeking professional help.

On the work front, he is showing his versatility with his projects on the digital platform. Namit, who started his journey on TV with the show "Pancham", and got noticed with the TV series "Sumit Sambhal Lega", has utilised the web space to step out of 'the good guy' zone, notably with the show "Mafia". He played Jawahar, a character with grey shades in the web series "Aarya", which starred Sushmita Sen. He also featured in the crime thriller "Abhay".