Avantika Malik opened up about her emotional journey post-divorce from Imran Khan, revealing her struggles with co-dependency and identity loss. Through therapy and spirituality, she found healing and strength, embracing personal growth and self-reliance
Avantika Malik and Imran Khan
Avantika Malik, who married actor Imran Khan in 2011 after a dreamy, long courtship, has spoken publicly for the first time about their divorce. In a heartfelt conversation with Janice Sequeira on the first episode of The Healing Circle, Avantika reflected on reclaiming her identity post-divorce, finding strength in vulnerability, and growing into a better version of herself.
Thought I would die: Avantika on divorce
Avantika shared the emotional weight of her separation, explaining that it wasn’t about societal stigma, but about dealing with the fall of a so-called “golden couple.”
“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,” Avantika confessed.
“It’s just two people growing apart—it’s not the worst thing in the world. I used to think if my marriage broke, I would die. I believed I couldn’t survive even a day without him. That fear and my lack of confidence convinced me I’d collapse. The day we decided it was over, I remember weeping like there had been a death in the immediate family. To me, that was it. I was dead. There was no way I could move on, or have a life. I was petrified, and I wasn’t even earning at the time. I know I come from privilege and I’d never be on the street, but the emotional weight was crushing.”
Reflecting on public expectations, Avantika added, “This golden couple and their fall from grace... We were so in love, always together, always happy. When we split, I felt I had disappointed everyone. It was very, very, very hard. And it took me a long time to stop carrying that responsibility and guilt.”
Role of therapy
She emphasized the role of therapy and spirituality in her healing. “Therapy brought up a lot of awareness. Spirituality helped put that awareness into perspective. Only when your perspective shifts can you transform from within,” she explained. “Different things work for different people—if someone isn’t spiritual, they can turn to meditation. The goal is to focus on becoming the best version of yourself.”
During her journey, Avantika found solace in Buddhist practices. The Healing Circle, powered by Coto, aims to bring raw, emotional conversations into the open—helping others feel less alone by sharing real stories that are rarely discussed publicly.”
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