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Who Is Lekha Washington, Imran Khan’s girlfriend detained at Mumbai protest?

Published : Monday, 12 October, 2026 at 10:58 AM

Observer Online Report

Collected Photo

Indian actress and artist Lekha Washington has returned to the spotlight after being detained alongside actor Imran Khan during a political protest in Mumbai on Saturday.

The two were detained on October 10 at August Kranti Maidan during a demonstration demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They were later released.

While Imran Khan’s presence attracted attention, the incident also renewed public interest in Washington, who has worked as an actress, model and video jockey while establishing herself as an artist and designer.

Born on April 30, 1987, Washington spent much of her childhood in Tamil Nadu. Alongside acting, she developed an interest in fine arts, design and creative work. She studied lifestyle product design at the National Institute of Design before pursuing film and video communication.

Washington began her career as a model and video jockey before entering South Indian cinema. She appeared in Tamil and Telugu films, including Jayamkondaan, Va and Vaanam. She also acted in the Hindi film Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, which featured Imran Khan.

However, acting is only one part of her career. Washington has also worked on furniture design, sculptures and other artistic projects. In 2014, she drew attention for her lifestyle brand, Azji-The Odd Product Company.

In 2018, she created a large art installation inspired by a second moon for the Burning Man festival in Nevada, the United States.

Washington and Imran Khan have been linked romantically for several years. In a 2024 interview with Vogue India, Imran publicly acknowledged their relationship.

According to the actor, their bond grew closer during the Covid-19 lockdown. At the time, Imran was separated from his former wife, Avantika Malik, while Washington had also ended a previous relationship.

Imran and Malik married in 2011 and separated in 2019. They have a daughter, Imara. Imran has spoken in interviews about the importance of his daughter and Washington in his personal life.

In February 2026, Washington faced online abuse over her relationship with Imran, with some social media users targeting their interfaith relationship.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, she said the use of her photographs to spread hatred and division went against her values. Washington also criticised the tendency to define a woman through her relationship with a man.

After working in the film industry for nearly a decade, she shifted her focus towards art and spent the following years developing her creative pursuits and building her financial and intellectual independence.

Washington and Imran were detained on October 10 during a protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai.

The demonstration called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with protesters raising allegations of irregularities involving the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and voter registration rules.

Before his detention, Imran told the media that he was attending the protest as a citizen rather than as a representative of any organisation. He questioned restrictions on people's freedom of movement and expression.

After being detained, he shared a photograph from inside a police vehicle on social media, joking that it looked as though he was going for a ride.

Washington also posted a video from the police vehicle, informing her followers that they had been detained and attempting to tell them where they were being taken.

The incident has once again brought the actress and artist into the public spotlight.