BB Desk
Zarine Khan, famed interior designer and wife of filmmaker Sanjay Khan stands out in a culture that often celebrates glamour over grace. Through the years, Zarine has been a prominent presence in Mumbai’s high end social and artistic circles, admired not just for her beauty but also for her poise, spirit, strength, elegance, and style.
Born into a Parsi family and educated in Mumbai, Zarine discovered a genuine passion for design through her inherent sense for aesthetics. Considered an ace interior designer in the 1960s, her work garnered immense respect for combining classic refinement with contemporary sensibility. Yet beyond her artistic pursuits, Zarine stayed firmly grounded as a woman who embodies warmth, dignity, and resilience.
In the Khan family, Zarine has been a constant, providing tranquility with her calming presence amid the turbulence of fame and public life. She has been an unrelenting supporter of her husband Sanjay Khan’s outstanding career in cinema and subsequent entrepreneurial activities. Their decades-long partnership displays mutual respect and faith in one other as well as the principles that characterize their family.
Zarine’s influence as the matriarch of one of Bollywood’s most revered families spans generations. Her daughters-Farah Khan Ali, Simone Arora, Sussanne Khan, all accomplished designers in their own right and son Zayed Khan often call her the moral and emotional anchor of their lives. Friends and acquaintances describe her as a gracious and approachable woman who commands adoration without ever seeking it.
Beyond the limelight, Zarine has quietly supported cultural and charitable causes including efforts that benefit women and children. Her compassion, often expressed in private gestures rather than public displays, reflects her belief that kindness is most powerful when it is sincere.
Zarine Khan, 81, succumbed to cardiac arrest on 7th November at her Juhu residence. She has been ailing since some time due to advanced years. Her last rites were conducted at the Juhu crematorium according to Hindu traditions and customs. Former Son-in-law Hrithik Roshan, Jaya Bachchan, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, Zoya Akhtar and other close family friends attended her funeral.
To those who knew Zarine personally, she was more than just a celebrated name. Her presence reflected a rare combination of old-world charm and modern vigor. She was a woman who lived her life with authenticity, depth, and unwavering poise. Rest in Peace Mam.
