When Seher Hashmi speaks about mental health, her words do not stem from textbook theories or clinical observations. They carry the raw truth of a survivor. Having battled severe clinical depression and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and having survived multiple suicide attempts and self-harm, Seher knows the darkest corners of anguish. Today, she is converting her trauma into a movement, traversing thousands of kilometres across India on her Royal Enfield motorcycle to shatter the silence surrounding mental illness.
Her ongoing nationwide campaign, titled ‘Beyond the Horizon – A Ride for Resilience,’ has reached Keralam after completing its north Indian leg. Together with a group of fellow riders, Seher is engaging with youth to transform societal attitudes towards mental health.
Seher’s life began under difficult circumstances. Abandoned by her biological parents at just nine months simply for being their third girl child, she was adopted by renowned social activist Shabnam Hashmi and scientist-writer Gauhar Raza. She is the niece of Safdar Hashmi, the iconic street-theatre activist who was murdered in 1989. Growing up alongside deeply committed parents whose demanding public lives sometimes left little room to process her childhood anxieties, Seher’s struggles gradually worsened into severe mental health challenges.
Path to recovery
Her path to recovery was forged through personal determination, medical intervention, and the empathy of her loved ones. Emerging from that dark space, Seher rebuilt her life as a motivational speaker, fashion stylist, and mental health advocate.
For Seher, every kilometre ridden is a step towards dismantling social stigma. By sharing her own story of survival, she offers young people across the country something far more powerful than advice—proof that resilience is possible, and that no struggle has to be faced alone.
Second journey
This motorcycle odyssey marks her second major awareness journey. Her first expedition took place in 2025, covering over 3,000 kilometres from Delhi to Kashmir and back, reaching thousands of students across 20 cities. Her current campaign—the south Indian leg—was flagged off on August 20, 2026, at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi by veteran actor Sharmila Tagore. Spanning 55 days, 11 States, and over 7,000 km, the initiative aims at covering 100 venues across schools, colleges, and rural community spaces.
Entering Keralam on September 9, 2026 through Kasaragod, the team will cover nine districts—Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram—before heading to Kanyakumari on September 18. In Keralam, the campaign is supported by the Yuva Samithi of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). Parishad volunteers are accompanying the team on motorbikes throughout the State, organising mental health awareness sessions and interactive discussions in educational institutions.