Lekha Washington, who began as an actor down South, has spent the last decade building a distinctive artistic practice, creating immersive installations, sculptures and design projects that have earned her recognition beyond the world of cinema. Having just returned from a sailing trip to Tahiti with partner Imran Khan, Lekha is reflective, candid and, perhaps for the first time in years, ready to speak. Having largely stayed silent through years of scrutiny surrounding her personal life, she pours her heart out on love, judgment, healing and the freedom that comes from finally owning her story.

Lekha says, “I’ve spent a decade working down South as an actor and another decade creating art. In between, there was some difficult press. I stayed quiet for a long time, but now I’m easing my throat a little bit. It’s been a journey of opening up. There may be someone out there like me who sees that it’s possible to feel free, even in a culture that often tells you to behave, to clip your wings. The society we live in can be controlling, but we have to resist that. For a while, it left me feeling hopeless. But in this moment, I finally feel a sense of clarity.”

Delving deeper into the scrutiny she has faced over the years, she addresses the labels and judgments that have followed her since her teenage years.

She reflects, “Since I was 16, I’ve been called all kinds of names — growing up in Chennai and even later. Labels like ‘sl*t’ and ‘homewrecker’ are often used to diminish and control women. They don’t define me, and I refuse to shrink myself to fit someone else’s need to cut me down. That’s where I stand today. People who use these labels don’t know the reality. No one truly understands the intricacies of someone else’s relationship, so how can they pass judgment? I’d much rather focus on conversations around my work. After putting out original work, if the first thing people reduce me to is my proximity to a man, that says more about them than it does about me.”

Talking about her relationship with the Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na actor, she says, “I am madly in love with this man. I have the greatest delight of getting to be with the man who I’m in love with. It’s a rare gift, one that I want to protect and so it’s not for the world. It is for me. Like any relationship, we’re constantly learning and growing. There are moments when we clash, but there’s also a genuine willingness to evolve. That’s what makes it a mature, grounded relationship — we truly show up for each other. Our families are part of the journey too, and there’s a child in the picture (Imran’s daughter, Imaara with ex-wife Avantika Malik), so it’s been a layered, meaningful ride.”

Before they became a couple, Lekha and Imran had known each other for nearly 15 years, moving within the same circle of friends. It was during the COVID-19 lockdown that their relationship began to take shape. Looking back, she adds, “I was in a formative long-term relationship for a decade beginning in 2009 and while we weren’t legally married, it shaped who I am. In the isolation of COVID, I had to face parts of myself that I had avoided. The subconscious parts of myself that had brought me there. When Imran and I began dating, it wasn’t a fairytale romance - it was two broken people in a broken world trying to pick up the pieces and do better.”

Imran, meanwhile, has been receiving a surge of love on social media that has paved the way for his return to the screen with Adhoore Hum Adhoore Tum and Happy Patel Khatarnak Jasoos. Reflecting on this phase, Lekha shares, “I feel so impressed to witness his journey. I think everything we went through was necessary — we both needed to heal certain fundamental parts of ourselves.”

Professionally, Lekha is in a happy space. Known for her experiential, large-scale and often interactive art installations, her work spans across sculpture, spatial design and kinetics. “Everyone needs a muse, and Imran is my muse,” she says, adding that she’s also excited about her new book, Rewild.

Does she miss acting? Last seen in Kalyana Samayal Saadham (2013), Lekha says, “I know I’ll find my way back to acting — I am, at heart, a performer. But this time, I want to do it on my own terms. Earlier, after doing a couple of Hindi films, I found myself drained by the business of being an actor. As a leading woman, you’re constantly objectified and have to navigate a great deal of misogyny. At the time, I was dealing with it all on my own, and it can be a frustrating space — there’s always someone trying to push you into a corner. A few of the films I worked on also got stalled. That’s when I decided I’d rather channel my energy into work where I have full creative control. In this phase, if I have to pursue acting, I’d rather do it with people who I trust.”

Actor Imran Khan, known for films like Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na (2008) and Break Ke Baad (2010), has voiced strong concerns over the current state of mainstream Hindi cinema for lacking “empathy and kindness,” calling out the rise of hyper-masculine storytelling.

Answering fans’ questions during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, regarding the industry’s shift from “feel-good” films, he said, “There’s a lack of empathy, kindness and responsibility in our stories,” adding he’s “disturbed” by films that “coddle every violent tantrum thrown by emotionally immature man-child.” Khan also revealed his upcoming film Adhure Hum Adhure Tum aims to bring back emotional depth.

The 43-year-old also emphasised that he consciously distances himself from narratives that normalise toxicity: “Important to note that there’s a difference between portraying violence and toxicity and validating them… My sensibilities would not permit me to participate in a narrative which I consider to be irresponsible.”

Highlighting the broader societal impact, he noted how modern films often reinforce harmful stereotypes. “I am disturbed by the upward trend in how misogyny and toxic masculinity are propagated… True strength lies in emotional vulnerability,” he wrote, adding that narrow definitions of masculinity harm both women and men.