Imran Khan says his marriage to Avantika Malik was unhealthy and that ending it was essential for his mental health and becoming the best version of himself, while emphasising his role as a devoted father.
Actor Imran Khan has opened up candidly about his marriage to Avantika Malik, describing the relationship as “unhealthy” and explaining that ending it was a necessary step in his journey toward better mental health and self-growth. The 2011-married couple separated in 2019 after eight years together and share a daughter, Imara Malik Khan.
Imran Khan felt like “an absolute wreck”
Khan revealed that his awareness of his mental health struggles began long before the separation, with issues dating back to around 2016 when he first recognised crippling anxiety and fear shaping his behaviour. He said that during this period he felt like “an absolute wreck,” realising that the version of himself he carried in his mind wasn’t real.
He said, “Well before my divorce, around 2016, I realised something was wrong. I just didn’t feel like the version of myself I saw in my head. I was interacting with the world out of fear and crippling anxiety. In my head, I thought I was chill, but I was an absolute wreck. When I saw that, I knew the self-image I was carrying wasn’t real, and I wanted to change that.”
As he worked on his mental health through analysis and self-reflection between 2016 and 2018, Khan began to reassess his marriage. He told ETimes that he eventually understood that his dynamic with Avantika was not healthy and that the couple were stuck in a cycle they couldn’t break without both partners changing.
Choosing separation to heal
Imran said deciding to end the marriage was not something that triggered his mental health struggles, but rather a necessary step toward healing and growth. He explained, “Within that, I developed the understanding that my dynamic with my partner was unhealthy. Our relationship began when we were very young, and we didn’t have the life experience to understand what was healthy or unhealthy in a partnership. Once I became more conscious, I saw we were stuck in a cycle we couldn’t break. Any change required both of us, and it wasn’t happening. I understood that in order to be the healthiest, best version of myself, I have to remove myself from this relationship.”
He clarified, “I don’t blame anyone. … Choosing to end it was a turning point, it allowed me to heal and grow. It is because we were not in sync; we were not able to support each other being the best version of ourselves. Whatever the hurt and trauma that comes from separation, it is still preferable to remaining in an unhealthy environment.” The actor emphasised that although separation can be traumatic, it was ultimately preferable to remaining in a relationship that wasn’t supportive or empowering for either individual.
Focus on fatherhood
Through this period of change and recovery, Khan said his daughter Imara has been his anchor. He described her as his guiding principle and emphasised his commitment to being a hands-on single father, involved in her daily life, from packing her lunch to driving her to school, rather than outsourcing those roles. He said, “She has always been my anchor, my lighthouse. Even when I felt lost, my love for her and my responsibility toward her became my guiding principle. That’s what motivated me to work on myself and be a healthy father.”
Khan and Avantika first met in 2002 before tying the knot in 2011; their daughter Imara was born in 2014. Since their separation in 2019, both have focused on co-parenting and personal growth, with Khan remaining candid about his mental health evolution and life lessons learned along the way.
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