It was incredibly tough: Manushi Chhillar on retaking NEET 2015 after paper leak

Actor Manushi Chhillar recalled retaking the NEET 2015 exam after its paper leak as one of the toughest phases of her life. Her comments come against the backdrop of student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which ultimately led to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.In an interview on actor Soha Ali Khan's podcast, Chhillar admitted the experience was both personal and reflective of the wider reality faced by students across the country. She highlighted that although she was mentally prepared because her parents had gone through the same journey years earlier, the process still took a heavy toll.Recalling that period, Chhillar said, "There are two aspects to this. One is my personal experience, and the other is understanding the reality that most students in the country face.""I had parents who had gone through the same journey years ago, so I was mentally prepared for the process. But it was still incredibly difficult because I had to sacrifice everything that brought me joy. I was a Kuchipudi dancer, I loved painting, and I had to put all of that aside for a year to focus entirely on my entrance exam," she added. The actor said it was "one of the toughest phases" of her life, though she added that she did not see it as the hardest experience when compared with what many other students were going through.Chhillar said she had met students whose parents had borrowed beyond their means to send them to coaching centres, while many had moved cities, lived in cramped PG accommodation and spent every day preparing for the same examination. She emphasised that learning she had to extend her preparation by another 45 days made her question "how much more you have left to give," but acknowledged the "immense privilege and support" that saw her through.Highlighting how her parents insisted on an hour of daily exercise — whether basketball or the gym — Chillar mentioned that it provided a vital outlet that "protected my mental health" and kept her grounded, adding that "many of my peers didn't have that luxury."Chhillar rose to prominence after winning the Miss World 2017 title, becoming the sixth Indian to win the pageant. Born in Rohtak, Haryana, she pursued medical studies before entering beauty pageants.The actor made her Hindi film debut in 2022 with Samrat Prithviraj, in which she played Princess Sanyogita opposite Akshay Kumar, and later appeared in The Great Indian Family (2023) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024).The 29-year-old was last seen in actor John Abraham's spy action thriller Tehran (2025), directed by Arun Gopalan and based on the 2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Aug 1, 2026 00:10 IST