Mumbai: Aahana Kumra is accustomed to testing her limits both on screen and in her personal life. Renowned for her bold performances and candidness, the actress recently shared a personal journey during her time on the reality show Rise and Fall. In an emotional account, Aahana revealed her struggles with anxiety, claustrophobia, and brain fog amid the show’s high-pressure setting. Despite her apprehensions, she decided to face the unknown, a choice that not only tested her emotional strength but also her mental health limits. Already in the process of healing and on medication for anxiety, Aahana felt conflicted. Yet, a part of her motivated her to proceed. “I had been avoiding this format for many years.
Ultimately, I thought — let me give it a shot.” Aahana Kumra on Handling Brain Fog When discussing her experience with brain fog during Rise and Fall, Aahana stated, “Yes, I experienced brain fog many times during the show. I would say this because I don’t think if I had met these 15 people outside of this setting, they would behave like this. But I don’t know how they are because it was my first time meeting so many people. In fact, I only knew Arjun; the others were strangers to me.” She added, “However, what happens is that you are placed in situations during the shows where you are nudged in certain directions.
You are compelled to think this way. You are pushed to feel a certain way. You don’t have your phones, and you are under constant camera surveillance. At times, something slips out of your mouth about someone that you didn’t actually mean. Then you think, ‘What did I just say?’ At least, that’s how I felt. I can’t speak for others.” Aahana Kumra on Reality TV Dynamics Reflecting on the nature of reality shows like Rise and Fall, Aahana shared, “During these shows, you are sometimes pushed in certain directions. You are forced to consider that perhaps this person is like this. So, it can lead you to behave in ways that are quite unusual for you.
I observed that I was largely an observer on this show. There were many instances where people were arguing, and I was simply watching. I was observing why these arguments were happening. Then I felt that these fights were pointless, given that they were on a reality show and their main task was to argue about something.” Aahana on Managing Her Anxiety Regarding her anxiety, Aahana mentioned, “I have talked about my anxiety. I have anxiety. That’s why I sunbathe every morning. I go to the park. I have many plants; I have planted two trees in the park myself. I run in the mornings. I have three cats I play with in the park. I have dogs.
There are many things, like butterflies, that I enjoy watching. I love watching the parrots. I find a lot of joy in these activities. This is usually who I am.” Aahana Opens Up About Her Claustrophobia The actress spoke about her claustrophobia as well. She said, “I also have claustrophobia. So, when I was signing up for the show and they mentioned the basement multiple times, I realized that I wouldn’t get a chance to see sunlight. That’s when I started to have second thoughts about whether I should participate in this show, as it might be challenging for my mental health. I was already in the process of healing and on medication.
So, should I really be doing this format? Is this format right for me at this moment? But I wanted to try something new. I had been avoiding this format for many years. I thought long and hard about whether to engage in this captive reality format. Ultimately, I decided to go for it, and I said, ‘Okay, let me do this. Let me give it a try.’