From refugee camps to Mumbai luxury: Elnaaz Norouzi gives Farah Khan house tour, says, ‘I started from zero’

Persian touches are evident in the living room. (Photo: Farah Khan/Instagram)

The tour continued into Elnaaz’s glamorous walk-in wardrobe, filled with luxury bags, shoes, and outfits. She also showed Farah her small garden, prompting a playful remark: “Why don’t you stand in a corner and wave like Shah Rukh Khan?”

Book Shelf includes photos from Elnaaz’s life in Germany and Tehran. (Photo: Farah Khan/Instagram)

In the bedroom, Farah was surprised to learn that Elnaaz had designed the space herself. Done in a soothing palette of white and beige, the room was accentuated by a greyish-blue wallpaper, while a regal chair and statement lamp added a touch of drama to the otherwise understated space. The actor also shared a deeply personal corner of her home—a wall adorned with childhood photographs, capturing memories from Tehran and Germany with her parents.

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The tour ended in her spotless, well-organised kitchen, which Farah praised for its neatness.

Dining hall is done up in white and beige. (Photo: Farah Khan/Instagram)

Beyond her acting career, Elnaaz has an impressive academic background. She was among the top students in Germany and even learned to program robots.

Walk-in wardrobe.(Photo: Farah Khan/Instagram)

Previously, speaking to Cyrus Broacha, Elnaaz opened up about her past, challenging assumptions about her upbringing. “Contrary to what people believe, we were not a rich family. We lived in a very small house in Iran. I loved my childhood in Tehran, but everything changed when we moved to a small city in Germany. Initially, we lived in a refugee camp.”

Elnaaz’s massive bags and shoe collection. (Photo: Farah Khan/Instagram)

Her family arrived in Germany seeking political asylum, hoping for stability and better opportunities. “We came without any papers,” she revealed. “It was a huge cultural shift—like moving from a bustling city to a place where everything shuts by 6 pm. We lived in a tiny room with three beds, sharing a bathroom and kitchen with other families.”

Recalling those days, she added, “We had to stand in line for food—one potato and one egg. That’s refugee life. They provided basic meals, but it was tough.”

Elnaaz has designed her bedroom. (Photo: Farah Khan/Instagram)

Elnaaz emphasised how far she has come: “When I was born, my parents lived in a basement. I’m not from money. We changed countries, cultures—we started from zero.”

Elnaaz takes pride in her spotless kitchen. (Photo: Farah Khan/Instagram)

Determined to build a career in India, she learned multiple languages, including Devanagari and Urdu, to avoid being seen as an outsider. “I didn’t want to come across as privileged. I had to learn the language to work here. I speak seven languages and even learned programming using Java.”

Today, Elnaaz Norouzi is known for her work in Sacred Games, Made in Heaven, and The Traitors.