‘I Am Leaving India’: Mandana Karimi Slams Lack Of Support, Says She’s Banned In Iran | Bollywood News

Last Updated:March 06, 2026, 17:32 IST

Mandana Karimi shared on Instagram her decision to leave India due to lack of support. She is banned from Iran and criticized India’s response to Khamenei’s death.

Actor and model Mandana Karimi has opened up about her decision to leave India, addressing the controversy surrounding her recent remarks. In a video shared on Instagram on Thursday, the former Bigg Boss contestant clarified that while she plans to move out of the country, she cannot return to her homeland, Iran, because she has been banned from entering it.

Karimi’s statement comes days after an interview in which she said she hoped to relocate to Iran. The comment quickly went viral and triggered widespread trolling online, with many accusing her of criticising India.

In the video, the actor explained the situation and said that returning to Iran is not an option for her. “I have been banned from Iran 10 years ago. I cannot go back to Iran. Yes, I am leaving India; I am moving out of India, but I am not going back to Iran. I am upset at India because for the past few months, I didn’t get any support in India, and suddenly, when Khamenei is dead, when Israel and America’s name has come into the picture, everyone has an opinion in India. Everyone is on the streets, and they can actually mourn for Khamenei, which I couldn’t do it, and I still cannot do it.”

She also said that she has been living under strict safety measures due to security concerns. According to Karimi, the situation has forced her to keep her location private even from close friends. “Because of the security reasons, I have been stuck at one place, and none of my even closest friends have my location because of safety reasons, and still I am trying to talk to the media to amplify the voices of Iranians. I haven’t been acting in movies for the past six years. That was my decision to stop acting in movies.”

In the same video, Karimi stressed that despite leaving Iran at a young age, the country remains deeply important to her. She said her recent interviews and social media posts are not about personal publicity but about drawing attention to the situation in Iran.

For the past several months, Karimi has been actively sharing videos and posts on Instagram discussing developments in Iran and urging people to support the country.

Born Manizeh Karimi on May 19, 1988, in Tehran, the actor has both Iranian and Indian roots. Her father is Iranian while her mother is Indian, and she spent her early years in Tehran before eventually building a career in India.

Before entering the entertainment industry, Karimi worked as an air hostess. She later moved into modelling and appeared in several international campaigns. In 2010, she came to Mumbai on a short modelling assignment and later decided to relocate to the city in 2013 to pursue acting.

During her career in India, she featured in advertisements alongside several Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor.

Karimi made a brief appearance in the film Roy before landing a lead role in Bhaag Johnny. She also appeared in Main Aur Charles, where she played the assistant of the serial killer Charles Sobhraj. In 2016, she was seen in the comedy Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3.

She gained wider recognition after participating in the reality show Bigg Boss 9 in 2015, where she finished as the second runner-up.

Over the years, Karimi has also been vocal about issues within the film industry. In 2018, she accused Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 director Umesh Ghadge of sexual harassment. She also levelled similar allegations against filmmaker Sajid Khan and later said she intended to distance herself from Bollywood after Khan appeared as a contestant on Bigg Boss 16.

Karimi later appeared in the television show Ishqbaaaz and was also a contestant on the reality series Lock Upp.