...
...
Next Story

Imran Khan reveals mental health scare gave him a wake-up call, forced changes: ‘I said none of this is right’

Imran Khan has opened up on how a mental health ‘scare’ forced him to make changes in his life.

Updated on: Feb 8, 2026, 10:19:52 IST
Advertisement

Actor Imran Khan famously walked away from the film industry over a decade ago after not getting the kind of roles he had hoped for. In his time away, the actor braved a divorce and a mental health battle. In a new interview, Imran opened up on how a mental health ‘scare’ forced him to make changes in his life.

Imran Khan opens up on his mental health scare

Imran Khan has opened up about his mental health battle.
Imran Khan has opened up about his mental health battle.

Speaking with the Times of India, Imran recalled how he realised nothing in his life was right during that phase, calling it a ‘wake-up call’. He said, “I had a mental health scare. You know, people have health scares. They're like, suddenly, something goes wrong, I'm going to change my diet. I'm going to change my lifestyle. Oh, it's all boiled vegetables. And I had a mental health scare. I looked, and I said none of this is right. I have to address this consciously. The way that you would start caring for your body if you suddenly had a health issue. I have to engage with it consciously.”

In the same interview, Imran explained that he always thought of himself as a chill person with no baggage, but later realised that his self-image was not who he really was. “My self-image was, I'm a really chill guy. But I realised that I whatever I think of myself, I'm not actually that guy. If I look at the way I was interacting with the world at that point was different, and it was not lining up with who I think I am. I was interacting with the world out of a sense of great fear and trepidation, tremendous crippling anxiety. It was the exact opposite of easy-going, chill guy,” said Imran.

Imran Khan’s film career

The actor is now making a comeback to films. Earlier this year, he appeared in a cameo in friend Vir Das’ directorial Happy Patel. He is now set to return as a lead actor in Adhure Hum Adhure Tum opposite Bhumi Pednekar. The film is slated to release on Netflix sometime this year.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur

Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe