Manushi Chhillar recalled sacrificing dance and painting while preparing for the NEET examination.
The 2015 NEET paper leak extended preparation by 45 days, deepening emotional stress.
Manushi completed MBBS before winning Miss World 2017 and entering Bollywood.
Manushi Chhillar has reflected on one of the most difficult chapters of her life, opening up about how the 2015 NEET paper leak forced her to prepare for the medical entrance examination all over again. Speaking on Soha Ali Khan's YouTube talk show All About Her, the actor and former medical student revisited the emotional impact of the cancelled exam and explained how the experience reshaped her perspective on burnout, privilege and resilience. Her remarks come days after nationwide discussions around the recent NEET paper leak protests.
Manushi Chhillar recalls the emotional impact of the NEET paper leak
During the conversation, Soha Ali Khan asked Manushi about the emotional toll of having to restart months of preparation after the examination was cancelled.
It was said by Manushi that the experience had demanded the sacrifice of everything that once brought her happiness. She explained that she had put aside Kuchipudi, painting and other passions to dedicate herself entirely to medical entrance preparation. She added that extending the preparation by another 45 days after months of hard work had left her wondering "how much more you have left to give."
She also acknowledged that she had been fortunate to have supportive parents and recognised that many other students had faced far greater financial and emotional hardships.
Burnout, privilege and the reality of medical education
Manushi revealed that meeting fellow aspirants had changed the way she viewed her own struggles. She recalled students whose families had borrowed money for coaching, moved cities and lived in cramped paying guest accommodations while preparing for a single examination.
She credited her parents with protecting her mental health by insisting on one hour of exercise every day, saying it helped her remain connected to life outside the exam cycle.
Reflecting on medical college, Manushi admitted that the exhaustion never truly ended. She said there had not been one defining moment when she decided to leave medicine, but that years of academic pressure had gradually led to burnout.
The actor eventually completed her MBBS before winning the Miss World 2017 title and later transitioning into films with Samrat Prithviraj. Her comments arrive at a time when conversations around student mental health and examination reforms remain firmly in the spotlight.
