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Avantika Malik reveals Imran Khan initiated their separation and says the two mutually decided to divorce six months later after trying to save their marriage.
Avantika Malik reveals Imran Khan initiated their separation.
Avantika Malik has opened up about the end of her marriage with Imran Khan, revealing that it was the actor who first suggested that they spend time apart. The two eventually decided to divorce after six months of separation, but Avantika says she does not look back at their 18-year-long relationship as a failure.
Speaking to Soha Ali Khan on her YouTube channel, Avantika reflected on how young they were when they got together, the expectations they placed on each other and the gradual strain that built up over the years. She also admitted that both she and Imran were “unfair” to each other as their marriage began to fall apart.
Avantika Says Imran Was The One Who Initiated Separation
Avantika met Imran when she was 19. They later married in 2011 and became parents to daughter Imaara.
During the conversation, Avantika was asked who first raised the possibility of separation. She immediately named Imran.
“It was him actually. I would have never done it. Probably to my own detriment, but I would have never done it. It was his decision,” she said.
Avantika explained that Imran initially wanted them to “take some time apart”. Six months later, the two mutually decided that divorce was the way forward.
She described that initial separation as deeply painful because it meant letting go not only of the marriage but also of the future she had imagined for herself.
“When we initially separated, it is the death of the way you perceived your life would be, what you imagined your life would be, how it would play out. It’s probably the death of the most intimate relationship in your life at that point,” she said.
‘Imran And I Were Unfair To Each Other’
Looking back at their years together, Avantika said that both of them changed considerably between their late teens, 20s and early 30s.
“Over the span of 18 years, you grow, you evolve, you become different people, you mature,” she said.
She also admitted that she entered the relationship with emotional baggage she had not yet understood. At 19, she said, it was easy to believe that another person was responsible for her happiness.
“At such a tender age, you don’t even realise that it’s your own responsibility. It’s like, ‘Oh, this person is in front of me and they are responsible for me being happy and content’. You don’t realise that over the years, you end up kind of damaging the relationship because you have these unrealistic expectations from it,” she said.
Avantika added that their divorce was not the result of one explosive incident.
“For Imran and me, because we had been together for 18 years and from such a young age, and we both went through so much in our 20s and early 30s that, of course, somewhere along the way, I think we were unfair to each other and so I can’t say it was one big incident. I think small things over the years,” she explained.
Avantika Says They Tried To Save The Marriage
Avantika said the couple repeatedly attempted to work through their problems before finally accepting that the marriage could not continue.
“We gave it everything. Even when it was on the brink of, ‘Can we do this anymore?’ We were always like, ‘Let’s work harder’,” she said.
She added that although the final decision felt sudden, they had come close to separating on earlier occasions too.
Eventually, they reached a point where they accepted that allowing each other to find happiness elsewhere was better than forcing the relationship to survive.
Despite being disappointed with how things ended, Avantika said she still considers their years together meaningful.
“I feel like we did it for 18 years. Through being kids, fame, failure, success, all kinds of things so I am actually quite proud of the two of us to be honest. I am a little disappointed in how our relationship ended but I feel like if you can do your best for 18 years and kind of build a family, it is a success,” she said.
What Avantika Would Tell Her 19-Year-Old Self
Asked what relationship advice she would give her younger self today, Avantika said she would tell the 19-year-old version of herself not to get married.
She said she would first focus on becoming independent and secure in her own abilities.
“I never became an independent young woman who was confident in her own abilities. I never became that. So I would tell the 19-year-old, ‘Hang on, there’s enough time for marriage and love and kids. First, get your shit together’.”
Imran and Avantika now co-parent their daughter Imaara.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Avantika Malik revealed that Imran Khan was the one who first suggested they spend time apart. She noted that she would have never initiated it herself, as it was entirely his decision.
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Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he\’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always…Read More
October 23, 2026, 19:20 IST