Iranian actress and former reality TV contestant Mandana Karimi reveals she is leaving India: "I feel like I don't have a voice here"

Mandana has admitted that speaking openly about Iran has cost her dearly on a personal level.

• Mandana Karimi leaving India after criticizing Iran's regime
• She feels unheard in India, losing friends over her opinions.
• Mandana hopes to return to Iran when the current regime ends

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Actor and former reality TV contestant Mandana Karimi has revealed that she is leaving India, a country she once called home, amid her outspoken criticism of the Iranian regime under Ali Khamenei.

Known for never shying away from political conversations, Mandana has been vocal about the turmoil in Iran and the emotional toll it has taken on her.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Mandana opened up about her deep anguish over the current situation in Iran and her longing to see her homeland free from the existing regime.

When asked whether she would ever return to Iran, she responded candidly, "Yes, the moment this regime ends I will go, anyway I am leaving now, my bags are packed. I am leaving India anyways. I feel like I am breaking up with India ans it is very difficult for me. Because I came to India when I was very young and India has given me everything, my modelling, my acting career and the loves and the friends in India."

Mandana further shared, "But I feel like I don't have a voice in India. And in these past two months, I have never felt so homesick and so lonely."

She admitted that speaking openly about Iran has cost her dearly on a personal level. According to her, many friendships in India have faded after she began publicly discussing the political crisis in her homeland.

The actress also spoke about her hopes for the future, saying she dreams of an Iran where women can live freely — where they can choose what to wear and how to live without fear or restriction.

Earlier, Mandana took to Instagram Stories and shared a picture of Donald Trump, writing, “Dear Mr President, Iranian people will remember you the way Israel remembers Cyrus the Great.”

For context, Cyrus the Great — also known as Cyrus II — was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BC. He built what was then the largest empire in the world, stretching across parts of Europe, Central Asia and North Africa.

Days after the Iranian Supreme Leader was reportedly killed in a joint US-Israel airstrike, Mandana publicly praised the two nations for ‘helping’ Iran — a stance that further intensified reactions around her statements.

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Born and raised in Iran, Mandana moved to India in her early twenties to pursue modelling. Her journey soon expanded into Indian cinema, where she made her lead debut in Bhaag Johnny. She later became a household name after participating in Bigg Boss 9, finishing as the second runner-up in 2015.

Now, as she prepares to leave India with what she describes as a packed suitcase and a heavy heart, Mandana’s story stands at the intersection of politics, identity, gratitude and loss — a woman torn between the country that shaped her career and the homeland she continues to fight for.