I've Never Been (Un) Happier

I don't write about my experiences with depression to defend the legitimacy of my pain. My pain is real; it does not come to me because of my lifestyle, and it is not taken away by my lifestyle.

Unwittingly known as Alia Bhatt's older sister, screenwriter and fame-child Shaheen Bhatt has been a powerhouse of quiet restraint-until recently. In a sweeping act of courage, she now invites you into her head.

Shaheen was diagnosed with depression at eighteen, after five years of already living with...