Former Machachari actor Ian Nene, popularly known as Almasi, has opened up about his tumultuous childhood and how it shaped his understanding of masculinity.
In a candid conversation on The Motive Podcast, the young thespian delved into the challenges he faced growing up in a toxic environment, marked by absent role models and instances of abuse.
Reflecting on his upbringing, Ian shared poignant insights into the lack of positive male figures in his life, describing how his uncles' struggles with alcoholism painted a bleak picture of masculinity.
"I didn't have the best example of men in my life, most of my uncles were alcoholics, they didn't really live like the best example of what men should be really like in my eyes and so I always veered away from masculine energy because I found it quite dramatic," Ian shared.
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Ian's narrative took a darker turn as he revealed the distressing dynamics within his own family, particularly the abusive behaviour exhibited by his stepfather towards his mother. This even worsened his view of what manhood was like.
"My stepfather was a little bit abusive, well not to me but more so to my mom, and I would observe it, and my uncles obviously were like drenched in intoxication and just in this bad world," he recounted, shedding light on the traumatic experiences that left a lasting impact on his perception of manhood.
The 'Machachari' star's candid revelations shed light on the complexities of navigating masculinity in the face of adversity.
This was not the only life experience that changed him as he also opened up on how his mother's battle with cancer also affected him.
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Ian revealed that his mother's ailing, depression and drug abuse, he joined the monastery. The actor shared that the experience hit him unexpectedly, and he grappled with the difficult question of why bad things happen to good people.