After a remarkable year with The Royals and Homebound, actor Ishaan Khatter has now shared a deeply personal side of his life. In a recent conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt, the young star opened up about his experience of growing up as a child of divorced parents and the profound impact it had on his personality.
Ishaan revealed that he was just four years old when his parents, actors Neliima Azeem and Rajesh Khatter, separated. Reflecting on his early years, he said that children of divorce often mature faster because they are forced to understand life’s complexities sooner than others. “The one consistent thing for me was school,” Ishaan shared, adding that his school friends became his lifelong companions.
Speaking fondly of his mother, Ishaan described Neliima Azeem as his biggest pillar of strength. He called her “superhuman,” acknowledging the immense challenges she faced as a working single mother raising two sons. “By the time my brother grew up and was able to take care of himself, I was born. She had to do it twice over,” he said.
The actor also spoke about how his mother’s sacrifices shaped his values and worldview. “She gave up most of who she was to be a mother first, and that defined how I see women and the world,” Ishaan reflected.