Mumbai: Just a few days ago, television and film actress Avika Gor surprised fans after revealing that she is shifting to Bangkok and bidding goodbye to India. And now, another popular television star has announced her decision to leave the country, leaving fans emotional online.
Actor and reality show star Mandana Karimi, best known for her appearances in Bigg Boss 9 and Lock Upp, has revealed that she is leaving India after spending nearly 16 years here. The actress shared the emotional update during an AMA session on Instagram, where she opened up about the difficult decision and her emotional attachment to the country.
Replying to a fan who asked whether she had left Mumbai permanently and if she would miss the city, Mandana shared a video and said, “I never could imagine or believe that I could say, but goodbye India.”
Calling India her “second home,” the actress further added, “This is going to be hard. But after almost 16 years in India, it’s finally leaving behind my second home… and here it is to new beginnings. New country, new home, new everything.”
Mandana Karimi, who originally hails from Iran, also revealed that she will not be moving back to her home country as she has reportedly been banned there for nearly a decade.
According to an interview quoted by Hindustan Times, the actress shared that she has been unable to return to Iran for the last 10 years.
Speaking about her emotional state and safety concerns, Mandana reportedly said that she had been upset and disappointed over not receiving support in India during difficult times. She also revealed that due to security reasons, she had been staying at one location and had not even shared her whereabouts with many close friends.
The actress further explained that despite stepping away from films over the last six years by choice, she continues to speak up because of her connection to Iran and concern for people suffering there. “I have an opinion because I am Iranian. I know what is happening in my country. I was born and raised there and I left at the age of 18,” she reportedly stated.
On the work front, Mandana Karimi was last seen in the Netflix film Thar in 2022. Over the years, she became a familiar face in the Indian entertainment industry through reality shows like Bigg Boss 9, Bigg Boss 10 and Lock Upp.
While Mandana has not yet revealed which country she is moving to, fans are now wishing her strength and peace as she begins a completely new chapter in life.
