Fardeen Khan is in a phase of his life where he is diving into meaningful work and taking a leaf from the lessons that have shaped him along the way. After returning to the screen with Heeramandi, Khel Khel Mein, Housefull 5 and Raja Shivaji, the actor is eager to keep exploring new opportunities, both in front of and behind the camera. In a frank conversation with Bombay Times, he talks about how reclaiming his health was life-changing and why starting afresh with a clean slate was the right way to go.

Before making his comeback, Fardeen had made headlines for the weight he’d gained during the years he was away from the limelight.

However, he surprised everyone with a remarkable transformation. For the actor, though, the journey wasn’t about looking fitter — it was about reclaiming his health. “Earlier, looking good had a lot to do with work. I thought of it as part of the job, but that was at an age when your body is more resilient and can take a lot more abuse — whether it was sleeping patterns, lifestyle or other vices. In my late 40s, I just stopped feeling like the same person. The motivation for me was to reclaim my health. It wasn’t about looking a certain way, although I knew that if I became healthier, I would naturally look better. Once I started feeling the changes, I realised they weren’t just physical, they’ve been emotional and psychological too. I’ve never felt more connected to myself,” he says.

Fardeen says quitting alcohol during the pandemic became a turning point for him. “Since 2020, there have been some huge lifestyle changes in my life. I’ve given up alcohol for the past six years. During COVID when gyms were closed, I read books and educated myself. People often punish themselves to transform their bodies, but the whole idea is to make it fit into your lifestyle, so that you can enjoy your food and enjoy working out. The biggest lesson was making things sustainable,” he says, adding, “I had started drinking and smoking at a very young age, so I’d forgotten what it felt like before all of that. That was the first time I had given up everything, and I actually remembered what feeling healthy was like.”

Reflecting on his return to films, he says he had no expectations — only the desire to do meaningful work.

“My heart is filled with gratitude — not just for the work that came my way, but also for the audiences who welcomed me back. I returned with a clean slate. After 12 years, the industry had changed, the kind of films had changed, and there was a whole new generation of actors. I had no idea what would come my way or how I would fit into this landscape. What I did know was that I didn’t want to work just for the sake of working. I wanted to do quality work. I had no strategy. I simply chose the best work that came my way,” explains the actor, who has just wrapped up Kokhand plans to venture into production this year, with directing also being a long-held dream.

Fardeen, who has had his ups and downs as an actor, believes difficult phases have shaped him more than his successes. "I don't necessarily see setbacks as failures. I see them as cycles in life. Whenever something doesn't work out, I first ask myself what I could have done better. That's always where I begin. None of us are perfect—we're all perfectly flawed. We have flaws, but we also have the ability to recognize them. If you're willing to learn, evolve and remain curious, those difficult phases become incredibly inspiring. The moment you stop operating from fear and insecurity, and instead focus on learning, uncertainty becomes an adventure rather than something to be afraid of. I only focus on what is within my control. Everything else I surrender. That's helped me navigate every phase of my life," he explains.

Fardeen, who has separated from wife Natasha Madhvani (veteran actress Mumtaz’s daughter), doesn’t wish to delve into his personal life.

However, ask him what the last few years have taught him about relationships, and he replies, “Every experience changes you. Every relationship teaches you something about yourself and gives you a deeper understanding of people. The only thing you have to protect yourself from is becoming cynical or bitter. I love openly — whether it’s my family, friends or work — and I don’t want to lose faith because of any difficult experiences. Every phase of life, whether joyful or challenging, teaches you something if you're willing to learn."

On the topic of relationships, Fardeen does open up about the most intimate relationship in his life—the one with himself. "I've never been great at self-love, to be honest. But I'm better at it now than I've ever been. At least all my therapists tell me so. It's a very personal journey and not something I can explain in a few lines because it needs a lot of context. But what I have learnt is that self-love isn't about becoming selfish. It's about finding the balance between being true to yourself while also being empathetic towards others. Life teaches you that balance. Every success, every setback and every relationship leaves you a little wiser if you're willing to listen," he says.

Fardeen says returning to films meant letting go of his past experiences and embracing a new journey. “People ask me whether it was humbling to go back and meet filmmakers after all these years. I don’t really see it that way because stardom has never defined my identity. It’s simply a consequence of what I do. Yes, after having done more than 30 films, you do climb a certain ladder in this industry. But when you come back after such a long gap, you start from scratch again. You have to earn your place all over again. You can’t walk in thinking you were once a star, so things should simply work out for you. That’s not how this business works. The audiences have to accept you again and that takes time,” he says.