Himanshi Khurana reveals she considered changing religion: ‘I felt like I was betraying my God’

Himanshi Khurana has revealed a side of her past relationship she had rarely spoken about before, one that left her questioning not just the future of the relationship, but her own religious identity.

Speaking to Paras Chhabra on his podcast, Himanshi recalled how conversations about her former partner’s religion eventually made her think about what it would mean to accept a different faith. She did not name Asim Riaz while discussing the experience.

What troubled her most was not any alleged mistreatment. In fact, Himanshi was clear that she did not believe her partner had done anything wrong.

“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.

But somewhere along the way, the conversation about religion became a question about what Himanshi might have to leave behind.

“I felt like I was betraying my God,” she said.

‘It was like I was saying goodbye’

Himanshi said she began thinking about the possibility that she might no longer be able to follow the faith she had grown up with.

Her response was deeply personal. Before making such a choice, she wanted to visit the religious places that mattered to her.

“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.

That thought led to another question: why did she feel she was saying goodbye to her God at all?

“The fact that this question even arose was a big thing – why did I feel like I was saying goodbye to my God?” Himanshi recalled.

For her, the problem was that religion was not something she could simply separate from herself.

“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 said the same difficulty could exist for anyone asked to leave behind beliefs followed since childhood.

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“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.

The question that made her look at herself differently

The conflict eventually took Himanshi's thoughts somewhere she had not expected.

“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.

Instead of simply trying to resolve the relationship, Himanshi said she began trying to understand herself.

That search took her towards religious journeys, including the Kinnaur Kailash trek. She recalled breaking down after reaching the destination.

“When I reached there, I cried. I cried so much,” she said.

She also said her partner supported her decision to undertake the journey.

“To be honest, my partner appreciated it at that time because it was the toughest journey. He was very happy,” Himanshi said.

Looking back, she believes the questions raised by the religious differences forced her to understand her own beliefs more deeply.

“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 Khurana and Asim Riaz's breakup

Himanshi and Asim Riaz met on Bigg Boss 13 and went on to become one of the show's most talked-about couples. They later appeared together in music videos including Khyaal Rakheya Kar and Kalla Sohna Nai.

The couple announced their separation in December 2023 after around four years together.

At the time, Himanshi said they were “sacrificing our love for our different religious beliefs”. Asim later confirmed that their respective religious beliefs were behind their mutual decision to part ways.