EXCLUSIVE: Aahana Kumra Reveals Battling With Anxiety, Claustrophobia During Rise And Fall; Says, “I Had Double Thoughts On Participating In The Show”

Aahana Kumra has openly spoken about her battles with anxiety and claustrophobia, especially in Rise and Fall. In October 2025, she revealed that her claustrophobia nearly kept her from participating in the reality show Rise and Fall. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, the actress recalled that despite her initial hesitation about joining a “captive reality show,” Kumra decided to confront her fears and go ahead with the opportunity. Scroll down to read what she said and watch the full interview.

Aahana Kumra On Dealing With Brain Fog

When asked about how she dealt with brain fog during Rise and Fall, Aahana Kumra said, “Haan, mujhe show ke dauraan bhi brain fog hua tha bohot baar. Actually, yeh toh main kahungi kyunki mujhe nahi lagta agar main in 15 logon se is area ke bahar milti toh yeh log aise hote. Par mujhe nahi pata yeh log kaise hain kyunki main toh pehli baar bohot logon se mili thi. In fact, main sirf Arjun ko jaanti thi, baaki main kisi ko nahi jaanti thi.”

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A post shared by Aahana S Kumra (@aahanakumra)

She added, “Lekin hota kya hai na, aapko situations aisi di jaati hain, shows ke dauraan k,i you are pushed into that direction. You are pushed into thinking like that. You are pushed into feeling a certain way. Aapke paas phones nahi hote, aapke upar 24 ghante camera roll ho raha hota hai. Kabhi na kabhi aapke muh se koi baat nikal jaati hai kisi ke against ya kisi ke liye jo aap actually mean nahi karte ho. And phir aapko lagta hai, ‘Yaar, maine aisa kya bol diya?’ At least mujhe toh aisa lagta tha. Baaki logon ka main nahi keh sakti.”

Aahana Kumra On How Reality TV Shows Work

Speaking of what happens on shows like Rise and Fall, Aahana shares, “Par in shows ke dauraan aapko kabhi-kabhi aise directions mein push kiya jaata hai. Aapko sochne par majboor kar diya jaata hai ki shayad yeh insaan aisa hai. Toh it can make you act and behave, right, in a very abnormal way, jo aap otherwise kabhi behave nahi karte. So, I saw that and I think main kaafi had tak is show par ek observer rahi hoon. Kyunki bohot situations aisi thi jahan log jhagad rahe the aur main bas dekh rahi thi. Main observe kar rahi thi ki yeh jhagde kyun ho rahe hain. Phir mujhe lagta tha ki yeh jagda kisi kaam ka nahi hai, kyunki yeh log ek reality show kar rahe hain aur inka main kaam hai jhagda karna kisi na kisi mudde par.”

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A post shared by Aahana S Kumra (@aahanakumra)

She added, “Maine kabhi aise jhagde dekhe nahi the. Mujhe laga yeh poora ek agenda hai, ki mujhe wahan jakar jagde karne hain taaki masala drama nikle. Ek agenda create ho. Woh bina kisi mudde ke bhi ho sakta hai. Aap baith kar normal bhi baat kar sakte ho. Lekin aise log laaye hi jaate hain aise shows par jo jagde create kar saken, jo chilla-chilla ke apna point rakhen. Toh, there was a mix of people on this show, and many times I was like, ‘Main aisi kyun ho rahi hoon? Yeh log jagde kyun kar rahe hain? Yeh log peacefully baith ke baat kyun nahi kar sakte?’ And you know, when you see that, main toh kaafi baar put off ho jaati thi. Jab main put off hoti hoon, toh main poori tarah se disengage ho jaati hoon. Okay. Then I just go quiet and I’m like, ‘I don’t want to talk to this person.'”

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A post shared by Aahana S Kumra (@aahanakumra)

Aahana On Her Anxiety

Speaking about dealing with her anxiety, Aahana shared, “I did speak about my anxiety. Mujhe anxiety hai. Isiliye main roz subah dhoop seekhti hoon. Main park jaati hoon. Mere paas bohot ped-paudhe hain. Maine khud do ped lagaye hain park mein. Main subah running karti hoon. Mere paas meri teen billiyan hain, park mein jinse main khelti hoon. Mere dogs hain. There are many things, like butterflies, I watch. Mujhe parrots dekhna pasand hai. Mujhe yeh sab karne mein bahut maza aata hai. And this is usually who I am.”

Aahana Opens Up On Her Claustrophobia

The actress opened up about her claustrophobia. She said, “Mujhe claustrophobia bhi hai. Toh jab main show sign kar rahi thi aur unhone bola basement, basement, basement, tab mujhe realise hua ki mujhe dhoop dekhne ka mauka nahi milega. And that’s when I had double thoughts ki mujhe yeh show karna chahiye ya nahi, kyunki yeh meri mental health ke liye thoda mushkil ho sakta tha. Kyunki main abhi medication ke beech mein hoon aur healing ke process mein hoon. So, should I really be doing this format? Kya yeh format mere liye correct hai iss moment mein? But mujhe kuch naya try karna tha. I wanted to do something new. Main is format se bohot saalon se bach rahi thi. Toh maine socha ki captive reality karun ya na karun. Maine bohot socha iske baare mein. Eventually, I agreed, and I said, ‘Okay, let me do this. Let me try it.'”

Aahana Kumra participated in the Ashneer Grover-hosted Rise and Fall.

Watch The Full Interview

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Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: ‘Heartbroken’ Aahana Kumra Recalls Getting NO Credit For Being A Casting Assistant In Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan; Says, “Woh Mera Pehela Experience Tha…”

Akankshya Mukherjee

Akankshya Mukherjee is a dynamic and ambitious individual poised to make waves in the realm of Media and Communication. With a passion for creativity and a drive to contribute to forward-thinking organizations, Akankshya embodies adaptability and a hunger for learning. Having already garnered experience through involvement in various organizations, she has honed the skill of quickly adapting to new environments and challenges. She sees each opportunity as a chance for personal and professional growth, eagerly embracing roles in communications and content writing.