'Remember weeping like there was DEATH..': Avantika Malik opens up on DIVORCE with Imran Khan

Avantika Malik,ex wife of actor Imran Khan, has opened up for the first time about their split in a heartfelt conversation on The Healing Circle with Janice Sequeira. The two, who tied the knot in 2011 and share a daughter, went their separate ways in 2019. Their relationship had long been idealised by fans, making the separation a particularly poignant chapter in the public eye.

During the chat, Avantika got candid about the emotional toll the breakup took on her. Contrary to popular assumptions, it wasn’t societal pressure or the idea of divorce that troubled her the most, it was the personal unraveling of a life she had deeply invested in. “I was so co-dependent that I didn’t even know how to book a flight or do phone banking. I hadn’t done anything on my own when I was married. I was a half-human. I lacked confidence in myself and I thought I couldn’t survive a day after my marriage. I wasn’t even earning a living at the time,” she shared, reflecting on how much she had lost herself in the relationship.

Recalling the moment the decision to part ways was made, Avantika said, “The day that we decided ‘This is it’, I remember weeping like there was an immediate death in the family. That was the kind of wailing and weeping. Because to me, that was it. I am dead. There is no way I can move on, there is no way I can have a life. I was petrified.”

I was so co-dependent that I didn’t even know how to book a flight or do phone banking. I hadn’t done anything on my own when I was married. I was a half-human. I lacked confidence in myself and I thought I couldn’t survive a day after my marriage.

- Avantika Malik

Crediting therapy and spirituality as the factors that have helped her heal, Avantika says, “Therapy threw up a lot of awareness, and secondly, spirituality helped, because there was a lot of awareness that therapy brought up, and spirituality gives it perspective. It’s only when perspective shifts, you can transform from within,” she explained.

Embracing Buddhist teachings played a significant role in her healing process. She added, “Different things work for different peoplle, if one isn’t spiritual, lean towards meditation. The goal is to focus on being the best version of myself.”

As for Avantika's ex husband Imran Khan, the Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na fame has remained largely out of the limelight in recent years. He recently confirmed he is in a relationship with actress and visual artist Lekha Washington. The two reportedly grew close during the COVID-19 lockdown, over a year after Imran and Avantika had parted ways.