Actress and former Bigg Boss contestant Mandana Karimi has officially announced her decision to leave India, citing a lack of support and deep-seated frustration with the current geopolitical discourse in the country.
In a video posted to her Instagram on March 5, 2026, Karimi clarified that while she is moving out of India, she cannot return to her homeland, Iran, as she has been banned from the country for over a decade. The actress revealed that she is currently living in an undisclosed location due to severe security concerns, noting that not even her closest friends are aware of her whereabouts for safety reasons.
The driving force behind her departure appears to be the reaction in India following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Karimi expressed hurt over what she perceives as a double standard; she claimed that while she struggled to find support for the voices of the Iranian people over the past few months, the streets of India are now filled with people mourning the leader’s death.
She noted that the sudden involvement of the United States and Israel in the regional narrative has shifted public opinion in a way that feels like a “betrayal” to her personal activism.
Karimi, who stopped acting in films six years ago by choice, emphasized that her recent media engagements are solely dedicated to amplifying the voices of Iranians during this volatile period. She stated that despite leaving Iran at the age of 18, the country remains her identity, and she will continue to speak out against the current regime despite her exile.
Her departure marks a significant moment of tension between celebrity activism and the complex diplomatic stance India maintains amidst the ongoing Middle East conflict.