Himanshi Khurana has opened up about her relationship with faith, spirituality and religious differences in one of her most personal accounts since her breakup with Asim Riaz. Speaking to Paras Chhabra on his podcast, Himanshi did not name Asim, but spoke at length about how differences in religious beliefs made her question her own faith and identity.
Himanshi and Asim Riaz, who met and fell in love during Bigg Boss 13, announced their separation after four years of togetherness in December 2023. At the time, Himanshi said they were “sacrificing our love for our different religious beliefs”. Asim later confirmed that they had mutually decided to part ways because of their respective religious beliefs.
Himanshi said her partner at the time would tell her about the positive aspects of his religion and wanted her to understand and accept them. She stressed that she did not believe he had done anything wrong or mistreated her.
“He used to tell me the good things about his religion. Everyone tells you about those things; there is nothing wrong with that. They wanted me to understand it and accept it, but it was not acceptable to me. There was nothing wrong with him, he never misbehaved with me, but it was my own choice that I did not want to do something like that,” she said hinting that the subject of conversion had come up in their conversation.
She then recalled reaching a point where the conflict became an internal one. “I felt like I was betraying my God,” Himanshi said.
Himanshi’s account suggests that she was told she would no longer be able to follow her faith. Faced with that possibility, she decided she wanted to undertake Char Dham yatra and other pilgrimages before making that choice. “I felt I wouldn’t be able to do this anymore. So I said I want to visit Char Dham and all the pilgrimages before that, because after that I would never be able to meet them. It was like I was saying goodbye,” she said.
She felt that if she accepted a change in faith, she might no longer be able to follow the beliefs she had grown up with. That is why she wanted to visit the religious places that were important to her before making that choice.
The thought of having to say goodbye to her faith then led her to question herself. “The fact that this question even arose was a big thing – why did I feel like I was saying goodbye to my God?” she said.
Himanshi said she subsequently began questioning whether she could genuinely follow practices associated with another faith while suppressing the beliefs she had grown up with. She explained that her faith was not something she could simply switch off because it had become part of her instinct and upbringing. Himanshi said this made her wonder whether even participating in another person’s religious practices would feel like a betrayal.
“I said, if I bow my head before your God, automatically ‘Waheguru’ will come out of my mouth. That would also be a betrayal. And this is already inside me. How can I remove it?”
She added that the situation could be reversed and the same difficulty could arise for the other person. “Even if we turn the tables, they wouldn’t be able to do it either. It’s not possible because we have been following these things since childhood. Whatever it is, it is inside us,” she said.
For Himanshi, therefore, the issue was not about one religion being right and another being wrong. It was about the difficulty of abandoning beliefs that had become part of her identity.
Her questions eventually became even more personal.
“Then a question came into my mind – will I be cremated or buried? This question came from my subconscious. Anyone can have any choice. I believe everyone should have their own individual choice,” she said.
The questions made Himanshi realise she needed to understand herself better, leading her towards religious journeys and pilgrimages. She recalled undertaking the Kinnaur Kailash trek, which she described as one of the toughest journeys she had undertaken. She also said her partner at the time supported her decision.
“To be honest, my partner appreciated it at that time because it was the toughest journey. He was very happy,” she said.
Recalling the experience, Himanshi said she broke down after reaching the destination. “When I reached there, I cried. I cried so much,” she said.
For Himanshi, the journey eventually gave her a perspective that moved beyond the question of religious differences.
She said the questions raised by the differences in their religious beliefs ultimately helped her understand her own faith better. Himanshi suggested that if those questions about accepting her partner’s religion and what it would mean for her own beliefs had never arisen, she may not have questioned herself deeply enough to discover what she truly believed.
“My thoughts were telling me that I need to know who I am. And that would not have happened at that time if those people had not raised those questions. My subconscious became so alert,” she said.
Himanshi and Asim’s relationship began during Bigg Boss 13. Himanshi entered the show as a wild-card contestant while she was in another relationship at the time. She subsequently ended that relationship and began dating Asim after the show. The two went on to feature together in several music videos, including “Kalla Sohna Nai”, “Afsos Karoge”, “Khyaal Rakheya Kar”.
The couple announced their breakup in December 2023 after around four years together.
Disclaimer: This article reports personal views and experiences regarding faith, spirituality and religious differences. The views expressed are her own and should not be taken as religious, spiritual or psychological advice. References to religious practices and beliefs are presented in the context of her personal account and are not intended to endorse or discredit any religion or belief system.
