Aaryamann Puran Singh's Heartbreaking Journey: Racism, Injury, and Depression
In a deeply personal and emotional revelation, Aaryamann Puran Singh, son of renowned actress and television personality Archana Puran Singh, has opened up about the most challenging phase of his life through their family YouTube vlogs. The young man shared a harrowing account of pursuing his football dreams abroad, only to encounter racism, suffer a devastating injury, and eventually slip into severe depression.
The Dream That Took Him Away at Fourteen
Aaryamann recalled leaving home at just fourteen years old to pursue his passion for football in England. "The tough part was leaving home, and I only decided that I wanted to leave home and play football in England, and you guys made it happen," he shared emotionally. His initial excitement quickly turned to despair when, after just three weeks of settling in, he suffered a catastrophic leg break that required immediate surgery and forced his return to India.
The Physical and Emotional Toll of Recovery
Returning to England the following year while still in tenth standard presented immense challenges. "I had to also study hard. I was not playing properly because I was still recovering from my surgery," Aaryamann explained. Watching his peers progress while he struggled to recover created profound psychological distress. "To see everyone around me grow faster and stronger at the age when people are supposed to do that, I was going backwards. I was not able to catch up."
The injury wasn't just a momentary setback but a gradual erosion of his dreams. "It was not a moment. It was a slow realisation; my dream kept breaking. That was tough to deal with," he revealed. The stress manifested physically as eczema covering his skin, and emotionally as frequent crying spells, even on the football pitch where he once excelled.
Confronting Racism Abroad
Beyond the physical challenges, Aaryamann faced blatant racism during his time in England. He recounted one particularly hurtful incident where someone mocked his means of transportation. "Once a guy told me, 'You came on a donkey to train?' I told him, 'Yeah, the donkey has a Mercedes sign. What are you going to do about it?'" Despite these painful experiences, he credited his family's support for maintaining his confidence.
The Descent into Depression
The most devastating revelation came as Aaryamann described how the end of his football dreams plunged him into depression. "With that dream going away, I got into depression. I still deal with depression," he confessed. His symptoms included severe panic attacks, anxiety attacks, and physical manifestations like shaking hands. "I have had bouts of depression so severe that I would not even come out of my room, and I would stay there all day."
He emphasized that London proved particularly challenging for his mental health, noting that "reassurance doesn't help in depression; only spending time with that person does." Throughout his ordeal, he expressed immense gratitude for his mother Archana Puran Singh's unwavering support, calling her "the most supportive" during his darkest moments.
This candid vlog offers a rare glimpse into the personal struggles behind the public persona, highlighting the very real challenges of pursuing dreams abroad, confronting discrimination, and navigating mental health issues in the public eye.
