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Hina Khan filmed Griha Laxmi action scenes while she had cancer, and she didn't even know it: 'I had a very tough 2024'
Hina Khan talks about her new show, Griha Laxmi, the story behind its shoot, and hopes for 2025 after a ‘very tough’ 2024.
Hina Khan is returning to the screen for the first time since her cancer diagnosis and treatment. Her new show, Griha Laxmi, will begin streaming on Epic On this week. Ahead of the release, the actor speaks to HT about her journey, return to work, and new kickass avatar in the show. (Also read: Hina Khan recalls how a falooda became ‘turning point’ for her on the day of breast cancer diagnosis)
Hina Khan on Griha Laxmi
Griha Laxmi stars Hina as the titular character, Laxmi, who transforms from an everyday woman to a gangster. Ask her about the obvious comparisons with Breaking Bad, and Hina responds, “Breaking Bad is very different. He (Walter White, the show's protagonist) was not embarassed. This is a very different situation. This is somebody who doesn't want to do it, is reluctant. But that majboori becomes her aadat (habit).”
Talking about her character in the show, Hina explains, “It's not that she wants harm for anyone or she wants to kill people. In fact, something like this happens, and she's the one who gets devastated because she's not that person. She just wants to enjoy power.”
Hina says she borrowed a lot from her own struggles, particularly how she fought adversity, to flesh out Laxmi's character. She says, “I took a lot of, I wouldn't say, inspiration, but little tiny bits from my own journey, like, how when things don't go as planned, and when, when you go through tough times in life, adversity, like, how do you deal with it? What gives you that strength and courage? What keeps you going? And what is that one point where you take that different call.”
Hina Khan on cancer and recovery
Griha Laxmi was shot on location in Uttarakhand last year when Hina was not even aware of her cancer. “I was diagnosed as soon as I landed in Mumbai (after finishing the shoot). I had it, but I didn't know it.” The actor says that it was probably a blessing in disguise as it allowed her to finish filming without the psychological or physical burden of the illness. “The treatment is exhausting,” she says.
Ever since she was diagnosed last year, Hina has been verbal about her journey, sharing updates on social media. She explains why: “What gives me peace and happiness is when I have some peace to share, which can help the other person in their journey.”
Having worked in television for years, Hina has ventured into the streaming world and admits that this new medium's approach is ‘1,000% different’. She explains, “We all know television is OTT; with all due respect, it is over the top. By over the top, I don't mean that the television actors are over the top performances or that they don't know how to perform. What I mean is that the television medium demands over-the-top performance. If we go subtle, people may not watch.”
In the new year, Hina says she wants to leave the struggles of 2024 behind. "I am happy with the way 2025 has begun with Griha Laxmi, and I am really looking forward," she says, adding, “I have had a very tough and very hard 2024. In 2025, I only pray for good health, healing and a lot of work.”
Griha Laxmi, created by Prahlad Kakkar, stars Chunky Panday, Rahul Dev, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. It premieres on Epic On on January 16.
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