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regular-article-logo Wednesday, 22 May 2024

Actor Imran Khan resurfaces on Instagram, opens up on his mental health journey and healing

The actor who had debuted with Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na in 2008 is giving us a glimpse of his flair for writing and subtle sense of humour

Ratnalekha Mazumdar Calcutta Published 12.09.23, 05:13 PM
(L-R) Imran Khan with co-star Deepika Padukone from the sets of Break Ke Baad; Imran Khan.

(L-R) Imran Khan with co-star Deepika Padukone from the sets of Break Ke Baad; Imran Khan. Instagram/Imran Khan

Remember Imran Khan? The hottie from Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na so many of us crushed on? After disappearing from the screen for several years and leaving us wondering what he has been up to, the actor has emerged on social media.

From replying to threads to posting frequent anecdotes along with unseen pictures of his earlier work on Instagram, the 40-year-old actor is giving us hope that we might be seeing more of him in the future.

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After playing the main man alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan (Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Gori Tere Pyaar Mein), Deepika Padukone (Break Ke Baad), Katrina Kaif (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan), Anushka Sharma (Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola), Sonam Kapoor (I Hate Luv Storys) and Kangana Ranaut (Katti Batti), Imran discontinued film work and also withdrew from the social media space.

Now, Imran is looking back at the time he spent on the sets with his colleagues, recounting his mental health journey, how he’s ‘reshaping his relationship with films’ and, on top of it all, giving us a glimpse of his flair for writing.

In this post, Imran remembers moments from the Break Ke Baad schedule in Mauritius in 2010, where he had a ‘blast’ sampling the local fare and made a few ‘friends for life’. Sharing a snap of co-star Deepika Padukone carrying him on her back, Imran writes, ‘I can’t show you many of the behind-the-scenes photographs, as it may compromise the modesty of certain individuals... but here’s a glimpse.’ To this, Deepika replied, ‘Soo True!’ Family member Ira Khan, daughter of Aamir Khan, also wrote, ‘Every time you post…I was taken by surprise. Pleasantly surprised.’

Imran is seen with his two Delhi Belly co-stars Vir Das and Kunaal Roy Kapur in this post, indulging in ‘method acting’ in the pre-production stage. ‘No sob stories, and no excuses here. I freaking LOVED Delhi Belly. Every single day that we worked on that film, I was sure of two things; first, that it was a once-in-a-lifetime movie, the kind that you feel lucky to be a part of. And second, that there was no way the Censor Board would ever let us release this thing. I'm glad I was only wrong on the second count!’ To this, stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das commented, ‘Three of us shared a van situation for a year of our lives. I’ve seen the two of you in your underwear more than I’ve seen any other men before or since. All that aside, it was this magical place where everyone felt lucky. And it was an honour to be in the trenches with you two,’ says Imran.

Reminiscing the shoot of Ali Abbas Zafar’s directorial debut Mere Brother Ki Dulhan with Katrina Kaif, Imran dropped a few images to which he added ‘retro effects’ with Hipstamatic (a photo-editing app).

The photo carousel set has Katrina strumming a guitar and trying out a pose with the Taj Mahal in an Anarkali costume. In one of the photos, Imran wears a long grey beard and a wig.

Recalling the fun-filled long shifts, he writes, ‘I remember working some wild double shifts for the song Do Dhaari Talwaar (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan). It was shot over for consecutive night shifts, while I was also spending the day shifts shooting the music videos for Nakkaddwaley Disco and Switty from Delhi Belly at the same time! I would sleep in my car while being driven between the two sets. Hectic, but worth it.’

In this post with a picture of him pouring water on himself, Imran opens up about ‘self-harm’, having ‘lived long in darkness’ and how ‘the sunshine can feel unbearably bright at first’.

‘I checked Reddit (still reliable), the comments sections of news articles, wherever I could find words sharp enough to cut myself with. And then a funny thing happened. There I was, poking and slicing away trying to feel ‘normal’, but somehow the edges of the words seemed less sharp... the tips less pointy. They weren’t drawing blood the way they used to. They just didn’t work anymore. And I think I know why. We all have scars, old wounds that still ache. But love heals,’ he writes, and goes on to thank his fans for the love and encouragement they are showering on him.

Imran heaps praise on Boman Irani, who played his father in Shakun Batra’s directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, in this post. He shares how Boman, unlike other senior actors, not only rehearsed with him but also pushed, encouraged and supported him while shooting, even to the extent of giving him cues on certain scenes.

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