When Sanjay Khan’s wife, Zarine Khan, passed away in 2025 at the age of 81, social media went into an unsavoury discussion about her funeral and last rites. Zarine was born into a Parsi family, married a Muslim man but had chosen to be cremated as per Hindu rituals. Now, in an interview with Vickey Lalwani, her daughter Farah Khan Ali has addressed the question while also opening up about her family’s loss and how her father, Sanjay Khan, has been coping with it.
‘She was claustrophobic about being in a grave’
Explaining her mother’s final wish, Farah said, “Even though she was born a Parsi and got married to a Muslim, she asked us to cremate her as a Hindu because she wanted her ashes to be immersed in flowing water in Kashmir. She was claustrophobic about being in a grave. So that was one of the reasons she wanted to be cremated, and so we did.”
Farah also revealed that her family was subjected to trolling over the decision. “It was really sad because when she passed away, there were so many unkind comments on social media, both from Hindus and Muslims, asking why we were cremating her. The Muslims were like, ‘How can you cremate her? She was a Muslim’. And the Hindus were like, ‘How can you cremate her? She was a Muslim’,” she recalled.
Reflecting on the reactions, she added, “It was sad because you live in a world… At least I come from a family where we were taught to love all religions and celebrate all festivals. And here, even in death, people were so against each other. This has only happened in the last 10 years in this country, where people have fought against each other over religion.”
Despite the criticism, Farah chose not to engage with the trolls. “But anyway, I ignored all those comments. I’ve become the ignoring queen. I can ignore trolls very well. Because, at the end of the day, I think you only have so much time, and you should spend it with people who matter and people you love.”
‘Memorial prayer had five priests’
She also spoke about her mother’s memorial prayer ceremony, saying it reflected the values Zarine lived by. “What was so beautiful at her memorial prayer ceremony was that we had five priests from different religions, Parsi, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Sikh, all saying prayers. Then the children and all of us spoke about her. Everyone who came there, over 2,000 people showed up for that prayer ceremony because she was so loved. And everyone said, ‘We’ve never seen a chautha like that, where you have so many different religions and so many different priests saying prayers’.”
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‘Sanjay had taken Zarine for granted’
Farah further shared how her father has been dealing with the loss of his wife. “Men don’t really take loss very well. My father is no exception. I think he had taken my mother for granted because she was always there. And today, I think he deeply misses her. But he’s also someone who keeps himself very busy because he knows that if he doesn’t keep himself busy, he’ll be in deep pain. So we do talk about her occasionally, but I think right now he tries to block it out because he lived with her, and she was there 24/7. So he, of course, hasn’t taken it very well, but he’s dealing with it, as are all of us.”
In the same chat, Farah also opened up about the rough patch in her parents’ marriage, and the time when Sanjay married actor Zeenat Aman briefly.
Farah breaks down
Opening up about her own grief, Farah, while breaking down, revealed that writing to her mother has become a way of coping. “Till today, I think it’s very therapeutic for me as a daughter to I write to her. I have a diary. I write to her, telling her about my day, what she means to me, etc.”
A day after Zarine Khan’s passing, Farah had shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, remembering her as a truly “special woman.” “My mother, Zarine Khan, was a very special woman. Her philosophy of life was to ‘forgive and forget.’ She was kind-hearted, loved by all her friends and family, and cared deeply for everyone around her.”
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She also described her mother as the emotional anchor of the family, writing, “Born a Parsi, married as a Muslim, and cremated according to Hindu rites, she epitomised humanity. She was the bond that held our family together, and her legacy is something we hope to live by.”
About Zarine Khan
Zarine Khan began her career as a model before appearing in films such as Tere Ghar Ke Samne and Ek Phool Do Mali. In 1966, she married actor-filmmaker Sanjay Khan, and quit her career.
Zarine Khan married Sanjay Khan in 1966.
(Photo: YouTube, Simi Garewal)