Hiding about moving to Mumbai from her family to walking at Cannes; Hina Khan’s mind-blowing journey of 11 years as an actress

Hina Khan became a household name when she debuted from the popular drama series ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’. And later on, gained more fame after her stint in Bigg Boss 11. The actress has come a long way ever since then. She shared her story in one of her interviews with ‘Humans of Bombay’. Let’s take a look at her journey….

Hina shared that she comes from an orthodox family. She said, “I come from an orthodox Kashmiri family where becoming an actor was never an option. My parents were even hesitant to send me to Delhi for college but somehow, I convinced Papa. So, when a friend suggested auditioning for a serial, I said no.Upon insistence, I gave it a go & the casting directors loved me! The next day, I was selected for the lead role!” (Photo: Instagram)

Since Hina’s parents would not have agreed initially, she hid the fact about moving to Mumbai from her parents for quite a long time. She said, “I moved to Bombay without telling my parents; I was 20. The production people helped me find a place. It took me weeks to tell Papa. He was livid. Mom’s friends & relatives cut ties with us.” (Photo: Instagram)

Her parents finally agreed and she worked, read and handled her parents all at once. Hina shared, “But by then, my serial had gained popularity. After weeks of cajoling, Papa said, ‘you can continue only if you complete your studies.’ Then, my parents moved to Mumbai.”She added, “I’d shoot all night, study in the breaks, then fly to Delhi to give my exams. The family stress was constantly looming–I told Mom to not bother, but it wasn’t easy. We’d argue a lot. But every year, my serial was the number 1 show; I fell in love with the camera.” (Photo: Instagram)

Hina played the lead in ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ for eight long years and is addressed by her fans as ‘Akshara’ till now. But she knew there is more in store for her and took a step further. She revealed, “After 8 years, Big Boss came my way. Initially, I had a ‘no shorts, no steamy scenes’ policy but over time, I decided to make my own rules.” (Photo: Instagram)

Hina has been in a relationship with Rocky Jaiswal since quite some time now and the world knows about it. She came out about it when she entered Bigg Boss and looks like they are looking forward to spending a lifetime with each other.Recently she even went on a trip with her parents and Rocky and they looked like a perfect family. But do you know the backstory. Hina disclosed, “And just when my parents had gotten used to me being an actor, I told them I was seeing Rocky. It came as a shock; everybody in our family has had arranged marriages. But I gave them time & now, they love him more than me!” (Photo: Instagram)

Hina has evolved in all this time and is now picking up different opportunities that are coming her way. She is eager to do more and achieve more and who can even stop her. She told, “After, TV offers poured in, but I took a risk & quit TV to do movies. I was thrilled when I debuted at the Cannes film festival last year; I felt so proud to represent India abroad. The way the entire film & TV industry came to my support, humbled me.” (Photo: Instagram)

Hina has now taken to OTT to showcase her talent and it was another step that she took not only professionally but personally too. How? Here’s what she said, “This year, I moved onto OTT platforms–the script demanded a kissing scene, so I spoke to my parents. I said ‘yes’ only after they understood it was needed for the role; my movie became one of the most watched films on the platform.” (Photo: Instagram)

Hina took up acting 11 years ago and has done whatever it takes to fulfil her own dreams and aspirations. And there’s no denying that she is better at everything today. It has been one hell of a journey and there is a lot more to come.

Talking about all of this Hina said, “It’s been 11 years since I first faced the camera–the little girl growing up in Srinagar would’ve never imagined walking Cannes. But a series of difficult choices have gotten me here. From Srinagar to Bombay, from being the first actor in my family to dating someone out of the community to giving up easy money at my peak, I’ve proudly carved my own way.” (Photo: Instagram)