Farah Khan recalls hitting poverty after dad’s film flopped, renting out living room to survive: ‘He died penniless with only Rs 30’

Farah had choreographed nearly 200 songs before she decided to step into direction with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Main Hoon Na. Determined to deliver a hit, Farah viewed the film as a tribute to her father, whom she described as a “flop director” at the time of his death. Reflecting on her childhood, she recalled growing up in a filmi family where parties were frequently organised at their home, with actors and industry insiders in attendance. However, as is often the case in the film industry, relationships shifted with each Friday’s box office outcome. One particular Friday became unforgettable for Farah’s family—her father’s film, Aisa Bhi Hota Hai, flopped at the box office, and the family went from living comfortably to being impoverished almost overnight.

In old interview with Karan Thapar on Itvindia, Farah recalled, “The film released on Friday and by Sunday we were below poverty line. It was pretty bad and I was six years old at the time. I was a spoiled brat before that and would get whatever I wanted and then suddenly everything changed.”

Farah shared how her parents sold everything in the house to pay off their debts, including their cars, furniture, and even her mother’s jewellery. They went to the extent of renting out the drawing room to make ends meet during those tough times. “Only the house remained, and everything else went,” she said, adding, “The cars, my mom’s jewellery, the gramophone—everything. Finally, we were left with an empty house, two sofas, and a fan. We even rented out the drawing room for a few hours. People would come, organize a kitty party, play cards in the room, give us some money in return, and leave. That’s how the house was running for a couple of years.”

Farah recalled how her lifestyle changed drastically after her mother left her father and took her and her brother to live at her uncle’s house. They had to adjust to living in a tiny room. With their mother working to make ends meet, Farah and Sajid were left to look after themselves. It was during this time that Farah began working at the young age of 15 to earn her own pocket money. “I started supporting myself with the money I earned, and I’ve been working ever since,” she shared.