At the India Climate Summit 2025 in Delhi, actress and UNDP Advocate Bhumi Pednekar openly discussed her personal experiences with climate anxiety. In conversation with journalist Shreya Dhoundial, she described this emotional response to climate change and how it has influenced her thoughts and feelings since childhood.
Bhumi explained that her understanding of climate change began in school, where it was introduced as a natural occurrence. However, she emphasized that human activities have significantly exacerbated the issue, leading to an alarming rise in global temperatures. This realization sparked her climate anxiety, which she is now able to articulate after years of internal struggle with the feelings it evokes.
“I grew up with climate anxiety,” Pednekar said, highlighting the lack of conversation around mental health at the time. As a young adult, she often found herself preoccupied with worries about the future, instructing her to educate herself on environmental issues. The impactful images and stories of environmental degradation she absorbed over the years contributed to a sense of impending doom, which she felt was apocalyptic and often overwhelming.
In her reflections, Bhumi noted her instinctive drive to protect her family from the threats posed by a changing climate, reinforcing the deeper emotional connection between climate issues and personal well-being.
On the professional front, Bhumi was recently featured in the Netflix series “The Royals” alongside Ishaan Khatter, which has been confirmed for another season, showcasing her continued engagement with social and environmental topics through her work.
This candid discussion sheds light on an increasingly recognized phenomenon: how climate change not only impacts the planet but also the mental health of individuals, particularly younger generations. As public figures like Bhumi continue to open up about these feelings, it fosters a greater awareness and encourages necessary conversations surrounding both climate action and mental health resilience.