Ira Khan has emerged stronger from her battle with depression. For the daughter of actor Aamir Khan and his ex-wife, producer Reena Dutta, being a star kid growing up in the public eye impacted her mental health. “Depression doesn’t have one cause. It would be silly to say that growing up in the family I did, hasn’t affected my state of mind. In some ways, it helped, and in others, it didn’t,” she says.

Using the privilege that comes with her position, Ira now spearheads a foundation that aims to help people with mental health issues. “When I was diagnosed, I was afraid people wouldn’t understand me. I had financial resources and a support system, but my depression and fear crippled me,” she says.

Diagnosed with cyclical depression in July 2022, the 26-year-old says her go-to person is her fiance, trainer Nupur Shikhare. While her family was “supportive”, Ira adds, “They didn’t necessarily know how to support me. I had to articulate it to them. It’s difficult to see someone you love struggle and go through any pain. You want to fix their problem and can spiral if you cannot help.”