mid-day Opinion: Lessons from Marjane Satrapi’s loss

Crash Boom Bang If maniacal Mumbai had a sound to it Irsquod hazard a guess and say that this is how it would be spelt out in wordsMarjane Satrapi passed away on June 4 due to sadness as revealed in a family statement ldquoCan someone pass away due to this reasonrdquo Social media platforms were abuzz with the news of the demise of a strong voice for womenrsquos rights and freedom of speech a brave creative soul whose imprint left a mark across writing filmmaking and activism often taking on the establishment in her birth country Iran and her adopted country FranceAs science took over sensationalism it emerged that she was still mourning the loss of her husband Mattias Ripa the Swedish actor writer and her collaborator for three decades Their love and careers blossomed in Paris where they met Together they went on to do amazing creative things The author of Persepolis she later made a film on it He translated her work and acted in her comedy film La bande des Jotas 2012 while his film Dear Paris 2024 was produced by her Satrapi also played a supporting role in it her last role in a filmA poster of the film based on her autobiographical graphic novel lsquoPersepolisrsquoTheir beautiful love story came to a crushing end when Ripa passed on April 8 2025 A distraught Satrapi expressed her loss in a unique way In the following weeks she created a post on Instagram adding one word at a time in a gridlike template Together it added to mdash lsquoFor I lost the love of my lifersquo She also established a foundation to financially support overseas film students in Paris But insiders say that she never got over his lossA little over a year later she passed awayA talking point that emerged in mental wellness circles soon after this news is the Broken HeartSyndrome Takotsubo cardiomyopathy a medically acknowledged condition caused due to extreme levels of emotional shock that could affect the heart muscle Satrapirsquos cause of death must be discussed in greater detail especially in our urban isolated and insular ecosystems The piercing question that could possibly be on many minds the answer to which we in farflung Mumbai will never get to the bottom of is ldquoWhy couldnrsquot her life be savedrdquoIn Mumbai where most professionals have to step up or drop out of the rat race therersquos not much time to save ourselves or grieve for a loved one let alone find time to help others Sadness is mostly pushed to the backburner because ldquowe have to lsquomove onrsquordquo ldquotake up the next assignmentrdquo or ldquomeet the deadlinerdquo For a city thatrsquos always on a ticking clock and where most live islander lives shuttling between workspaces home and the cruel commute how much time is left for selflove And if time permits to help a stressedout friend colleague or a cocommuter ZilchWe can assume that Satrapi would have been surrounded by her family and friends after Riparsquos demise So how did grief get the better of a bright intelligent woman whose creative pursuits offered hope and light to women from Iran France and the rest of the world Wersquoll never know But surely therersquos a message in it for all of us We must strive to be empathetic citizensBe kind to yourself Reach out to a forgotten friend Meet a retired teacher in person Seek help for yourself or a dear one when little makes sense Donrsquot hesitate to create a cushion of comfort Itrsquos worth its weight in gold in these impersonal times where sadness can creep in unannounced and become a lifelong dementormiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper