Imran Khan on girlfriend Lekha Washington: She’s an artist with an artist’s soul

Imran Khan, who started dating actress and artist Lekha Washington during the lockdown, in conversation with Bombay Times admits that she has brought quite a change into his minimalist home. Imran recalls, “Around two years ago we had friends, a couple came home for dinner. So, there were four of us and I only had three plates and three forks. I didn’t usually have company and that’s how I was living so it was unusual to have four people at home. We found ourselves in a situation where Lekha and I had to share one plate and fork. After that Lekha told me we need more stuff and now we have enough to entertain guests.”
Going on to explain his minimalist ideology the actor adds, “I wanted to reduce the stuff that I’m dependant on by limiting it to only what I can manage by myself. If there are only three plates and two cups the pile of dirty dishes can’t go higher than that thus reducing the mess, that can be cleared in ten minutes. That was the process. Prior to Lekha and I living together I didn’t have any staff, and I still don’t. If someone else is washing, then you can keep using it.”

Speaking about the changes in his life, dating an artist “with an artist’s soul” he adds that “It’s all about releasing the stress and anxiety around how she will do her thing. If she’s painting and there’s paint on her palette and brushes, that is her functioning space, so I won’t worry about the stains. If she’s eaten half a chocolate, she needs it later, so I won’t move it. I still have a Japanese style of living, with minimal items and I don’t leave anything around, everything is in its place. I can live with other people’s mess but not my own.”
When asked if he has OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) he says, “I prefer to call it CDO because it’s better in alphabetical order.”