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Imran Khan Biography: Bollywood Actor of Jaane Tu and Delhi Belly

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Imran Khan headshot

Imran Khan Biography: Bollywood Actor of Jaane Tu and Delhi Belly

This article covers Imran Khan the Bollywood actor (nephew of Aamir Khan) — not the former Pakistani prime minister and cricket legend.

Imran Khan, the Bollywood actor and nephew of Aamir Khan, made headlines in October 2026: after joining an October 10 protest at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan over the Election Commissioner’s role, the US citizen and OCI cardholder received an FRRO notice to leave India by October 28. He is best known for Jaane Tu (2008) and Delhi Belly (2011).

Quick facts

  • Full name: Imran Khan (born Imran Pal)
  • Born: January 13, 1983, in Madison, Wisconsin, USA
  • Citizenship: American by birth; holds an OCI card
  • Occupation: Actor, director
  • Known for: Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008), I Hate Luv Storys (2010), Delhi Belly (2011), Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011)
  • Family: Parents Anil Pal and Nuzhat Khan (daughter of filmmaker Nasir Hussain); nephew of Aamir Khan
  • Spouse/partner: Avantika Malik (married 2011, divorced 2019); partner Lekha Washington (2024–present)
  • Children: Daughter Imara (born 2014)

Early life and background

Born Imran Pal on January 13, 1983, in Madison, Wisconsin, to Anil Pal, a software engineer, and Nuzhat Khan, a psychologist and the daughter of filmmaker Nasir Hussain. His uncle is director-producer Mansoor Khan, his mother’s cousin is actor Aamir Khan. He schooled in Mumbai (Bombay Scottish; Blue Mountain, Coonoor) and Sunnyvale, California (Fremont High). He studied filmmaking and method acting at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, then trained at Mumbai’s Kishore Namit Kapoor acting institute. As a child he played the young Aamir Khan in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992).

Career: a meteoric debut, then a slow fade

His adult acting debut, the romantic comedy Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008) — directed by Abbas Tyrewala, produced by Aamir and Mansoor Khan — was a major commercial success and won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. After two flops (Kidnap, Luck) and a “one-film wonder” media tag, he bounced back with I Hate Luv Storys (2010), and 2011 became his best year: Delhi Belly was a critical and commercial hit, and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (opposite Katrina Kaif and Ali Zafar) another box-office success. The flops that followed — Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara, Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, Katti Batti (2015) — ended the run, and Khan stepped away from acting for nearly a decade. He returned with a cameo in Vir Das’s Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos (January 2026) and is next set to lead the Netflix film Adhure Hum Adhure Tum, opposite Bhumi Pednekar and directed by Danish Aslam, reported to target a December 18, 2026 release.

Major achievements

  • Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut — Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (54th Filmfare Awards)
  • Rank 40 on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list (2013), based on income and popularity
  • Coca-Cola India brand ambassador (2010) and Levi’s brand ambassador (replacing Shahid Kapoor)
  • PETA supporter and former Hindustan Times columnist

His contemporaries include fellow Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, whose biography is also covered on this site.

Personal life

Khan married Avantika Malik on January 10, 2011; their daughter, Imara Malik Khan, was born on June 9, 2014. The couple separated and finalized their divorce in 2019. Since 2024, his partner has been actor Lekha Washington. He sold his Ferrari, moved out of a large Pali Hill bungalow into a Bandra apartment, and personally designed a house near Karjat outside Mumbai. In 2013, he and his mother and then-wife bought four acres of land to develop into an animal shelter.

October 2026: the protest and the FRRO “leave India” notice

On October 10, 2026, Khan joined a protest at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police briefly detained him — along with his partner, his mother, and around 400 others, per reports — and he posted a selfie from inside a police van; he was released the same day. On October 15, Mumbai Police announced the FRRO had issued a “Leave India Notice” to Khan — a US citizen and OCI cardholder — directing him to leave the country by October 28, 2026, for allegedly violating the Immigration and Foreigners Act. The notice followed a complaint by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya (per The Indian Express; The Hindu reported police as saying it was suo motu), and his lawyer was reported as planning a Bombay High Court challenge. The episode landed just as he was preparing his full acting comeback after an 11-year hiatus.

Net worth snapshot

Imran Khan’s net worth is estimated at ₹100–127.5 crore (roughly $12–15 million) as of 2026, based on unverified online estimates from Asianet Newsable (₹127.5 crore) and Outlook India (~₹100 crore); no Forbes, Bloomberg, or Hurun estimate exists. Read the full breakdown in Imran Khan’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bollywood actor Imran Khan related to Aamir Khan?

Yes. Imran Khan is Aamir Khan’s nephew — his mother, Nuzhat Khan, is Aamir’s cousin and the sister of director-producer Mansoor Khan, and his grandfather was filmmaker Nasir Hussain.

Why was Imran Khan asked to leave India in October 2026?

After joining an October 10, 2026 protest at Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, Khan was detained by police. The FRRO then issued a “Leave India Notice” directing him — a US citizen and OCI cardholder — to leave India by October 28, 2026, for allegedly violating the Immigration and Foreigners Act. His lawyer was reported as planning a High Court challenge.

What is Imran Khan best known for?

His debut Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, plus Delhi Belly (2011) and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). After Katti Batti (2015) and a long hiatus, he returned with a Happy Patel cameo (January 2026) and a planned Netflix comeback, Adhure Hum Adhure Tum.

Is Imran Khan the actor the same person as the former Pakistan PM?

No. Imran Khan the actor is an American-born Bollywood star (born January 13, 1983, in Madison, Wisconsin). The former Pakistani prime minister is a different, older Imran Khan — the legendary cricketer turned politician. They are unrelated.

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