‘Heroine looks bigger than you’: Imran Khan recalls being skinny shamed, taking steroids; opens up about depression

Imran Khan, who was a Bollywood heartthrob once upon a time, vanished from the limelight back in 2018 much to our dismay. But 5 years later, after countless requests from his many fans, the handsome chocolate boy of the industry made his much awaited comeback on social media in August. Ever since then, it has been one throwback post after another as Imran shared lesser known memories from movie sets. Fans were delighted! Well, in his latest post the actor opened up about being skinny shamed during his initial days in Bollywood. He also talked about battling depression in recent years and how it affected his health.

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In his debut film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Imran won us over with his boy next door charm. It was in his second film Kidnap that he gave us a taste of his versatility when he played the role of a ruthless kidnapper. Remembering those days, Imran shared, “I've always been skinny. I'm one of those hyper-metabolic people, my body just burns through whatever I consume. Oh no, what a terrible affliction! In my late teens, guys around me started joining gyms and working out. They started to expand, their biceps stretching the sleeves of their t-shirts. I wore a size S, and my sleeves were still loose.” Imran revealed that it was before the shooting of Kidnap that he hit the gym and began his journey with bodybuilding.

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The actor shared, “Over the next few years, the sculpting and maintenance of my body became part of my lifestyle. I worked out regularly, but still I would hear "So... you'll bulk up a bit before we start shooting, right?"; "You're looking weak", "You look like a little boy, not a man", and "The heroine looks bigger than you" (ouch for both of us!).” He went on to add that his physique still didn’t meet the examples set by heroes on the silver screen. To achieve that, he began taking supplements and anabolic steroids, apart from exercising and keeping a check on his nutrition. Imran shared that in recent years he battled depression and stopped working out. This was the time that his pictures went viral on social media and left many fans worried about his health. Initially Imran felt embarrassed, but it has been an uphill journey ever since he began working out again. Imran concluded, “And while I'm still a tad jealous of those dudes with superhero muscles... I don't feel bad about myself.”

Well, we truly are grateful that Imran shared his health and fitness journey with us. We know for sure that this will help many others dealing with body image issues.