Imran Khan reveals how his daughter and girlfriend Lekha Washington have helped him in healing from depression: 'To be loved by someone truly...'

Imran Khan took a break from movies for a few years and now he's set to make a comeback with a cameo in Vir Das' directorial, 'Happy Patel'. The actor has opened up on his break period and dealing with mental health issues that time. Imran that he was dealing with depression and that also led to him staying away from the industry. During this time, Imran also went through a divorce with his wife Avantika Malik. They have a daughter who they co-parent. Imran found love again and is a relationship with Lekha Washington since some time. In a recent interview, the actor opened up about how two people in his life, his daughter Imara and his partner Lekha Washington, have played an indispensable role in helping him heal.

Looking back at his journey after separating from ex-wife Avantika Malik in 2019 and later finding love again, Imran described this new phase of life as “empowering, uplifting, and a two-way thing.” Speaking to NDTV, he reflected on the power of love in his recovery, saying, “To be loved by someone truly gives you strength and heals you. To give love truthfully and selflessly to another also is empowering and healing. And I have found this, in between my daughter and my partner Lekha, to give and to receive love. It has been absolutely crucial to my healing and to my own growth and well-being.” He also underlined the importance of therapy in helping him rebuild himself emotionally.




Imran went on to note how steadily things have improved for him over the years. “The last few years in particular, every year has been better than the last. The last five-six years have been just better and better. And the last couple of years have kind of coincided with me feeling very settled within myself and feeling a desire to work,” he shared, pointing to both personal peace and renewed professional motivation.

Fatherhood, he said, has been one of the most defining experiences of his life. After Imara was born, Imran consciously chose to step back from work to be present for her. “I put her to bed. I would feed her. Even now, I just got back from picking her up from school. So I do all of that stuff. Because it gives me great joy and a sense of purpose and value. And it seems, by and large, to me to be the best use of my time,” he explained.

However, he also acknowledged how challenging it can be to juggle work and parenting. “It means that then I would miss a day with her. Basically, it takes a lot to get me to give up on that,” he said. Recalling his recent project, he added, “Even this past year, while I was making 'Adhoore Hum, Adhoore Tum', it was about a three-month shoot. And, wherever I could, I would try to adjust my dates and my timings to not miss time with her.”

Earlier, Imran had addressed the public scrutiny around his physical appearance and health. After paparazzi photos showed him with noticeable weight gain, speculation arose about alleged drug use. Responding to this on Instagram, he wrote, “When I was photographed, it sparked a media discussion about my wellbeing, and speculations of drug abuse! I felt deeply ashamed, embarrassed to be seen by anyone in this state. So I retreated further;” He added candidly, “It’s been an uphill journey, but these days I’m doing better than ever; I exercise with my old friend @tokastraining who puts my health first and only feeds me supplements like walnuts and turmeric… seriously. And while I’m still a tad jealous of those dudes with superhero muscles… I don’t feel bad about myself.”