Mumbai: After creating a buzz on social media by announcing her decision to leave India, Iranian actor-model Mandana Karimi has revealed that she cannot return to her home country as she was banned from entering it nearly a decade ago.
Addressing the controversy surrounding her recent remarks, Karimi explained the situation in a video shared on Instagram, and said while she wants to move out of India, 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,” Karimi said in the video message.
She further shared that due to security concerns, she is forced is keep her location private even from close friends.
“Because of 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,” she added.
Karimi said that her recent interviews and social media posts are not a publicity gimmick, but for drawing attention to the situation in Iran.
For the last several months, Karimi has been actively discussing developments in Iran on social media platforms and urging people to support the country.
Karimi has featured in films like ‘Roy’, ‘Bhaag Johnny’, ‘Main Aur Charles’, and ‘Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3.’
She gained recognition after participating in the Salman Khan-hosted reality show ‘Bigg Boss 9’, where she emerged as the second runner-up.
