Imran Khan opens up about dealing with depression after quitting Bollywood - 'I felt damaged on...'

Imran Khan took a break from acting after his 2015 release Katti Batti. However, the actor has been making headlines in recent months as there has been a renewal of interest in acting for the actor. He recently opened up about his struggles with mental health following 2015 and his decision to leave Bollywood. The actor revealed that he "simply couldn’t be bothered to invest the time, energy and effort required to stay in this profession," and for this, he decided to part ways from acting and not because of box office failures.  

"I felt damaged on the inside, and I wanted to fix that. If you pull a hamstring, you go to the physiotherapist. You don’t feel good mentally? Seek therapy," Imran said.

The Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa actor also revealed that he has been going to a therapist four times a week for the last seven years. Calling it a "defining decision", the actor said, "If you speak to someone who has given up an addiction or gone off alcohol, they could tell you the exact number of days they’ve been sober. It’s the same for me with my mental health. It’s been 2,500 days since I started my analysis on March 13, 2017."

Also read: Imran Khan recalls negative reviews for Break Ke Baad, writes 'looking at the past so much because I'm reshaping my relationship with my films'

Earlier in September 2023, Imran spoke about his struggles with depression for the first time and he also revealed that he tried to harm himself. "We all have scars, old wounds that still ache. But love heals. Love is empowering and uplifting, and if you are fortunate enough to receive the kind of love that I have, I think it starts to fill in those scars. It covers you in a layer of protective armor. You may never fully grasp the extent to which your love empowers me, but know that I am grateful," he had written.

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Multiple actors from the film industry including Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, and Honey Singh, among others, have spoken up about their mental health issues. Most of the actors also keep spreading to talk about it with your loved ones and take it off your chest. After speaking about his mental health issues being the reason for his exit from Bollywood, Imraan Khan shut the speculations about him leaving the industry because of the box office failures. 

Speaking about his love life, Imran Khan reveals to Vogue India, "The speculation that I’m romantically involved with Lekha Washington is true. I’m divorced and have been separated since February 2019." The actor claimed that it was during the lockdown when he got close to Lekha, fifteen months after he separated from Avantika. 

ALSO READ: 15 years of Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na: A 'Pyaar Dosti Hai' formula that worked wonders a decade after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai