4 min readNew DelhiJun 9, 2026 04:34 PM IST
Arjun Rampal, who is currently enjoying the success of the Dhurandhar films, recently opened up about “the darkest phase” of his life. In a recent interview, the actor spoke about the emotional turmoil he faced when his marriage to Mehr Jesia was falling apart while his mother was battling cancer. Arjun also shared how his fiancee Gabriella Demetriades became his source of strength during the challenging time.
Talking to Sohini on Cancelled to Crown, Rampal said, “I think the loneliest I have ever felt is when I was not connected with myself the way I am today. My marriage was not working out and it’s sad because I think love is not constant. Everything in life is not constant. We are not constant, we are constantly changing and sometimes in that change one doesn’t grow or change well together.”
The actor further added, “I think that was maybe the darkest phase of my life because at that point in time was exactly the time my mom had cancer and I was losing her. I was losing everybody who was close to me. I had lost my father three years before that. I was losing friends. I was losing everything that I had worked so hard to get.”
Arjun Rampal shared that the period pushed him into a stage of pure introspection. “When you lose everything, there’s only one thing that is left in front of you and that is pure introspection. You can’t do anything, you have to go back within yourself and understand what have you become, why has this happened, what are your faults,” he said.
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He continued, “You can’t blame. If you blame, you are going to become even more miserable because you are using that as a crutch to not introspect honestly. You’re victimising yourself. But you can’t do that. You got to be strong enough to pick it up and say, yes, these are the parts where I was flawed, these are the parts where I was careless, these are the parts where I was insensitive, these were the parts where I went wrong and now I’m going to fix it.”
Arjun Rampal also gave the credit to his partner Gabriella Demetriades for beng his “strong anchor” during the difficult phase. “I was very lucky because I got somebody like Gabriella into my life who I think was a very strong anchor and was also coming from a space of maybe a lot of darkness as well. So we both were in the storm and we had to, like I said, weather it. But it’s good, we got to weather it together and then the blessings came,” he said.
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The actor became emotional while recalling how life gradually changed after that difficult period. “When the sun rose again, even though my mom passed, I got Arik. And that was great joy, was a blessing,” he shared. Arjun Rampal concluded by saying that the experience led to a complete transformation in his outlook towards life. “We had done a complete 180 change with us on our lives, of certain ways and creating habits.”
Disclaimer: This article discusses personal experiences with grief, family illness, and emotional challenges. It is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute professional mental health or medical advice. If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress, please reach out to qualified support services.
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Arjun Rampal talks about the 'darkest phase' of his life