Farah Khan recently paid a heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Menaka Irani, who passed away on July 26 in Mumbai. Khan shared a touching Instagram post reflecting on her mother's life, highlighting her exceptional humour and wit, which she felt surpassed her own and her brother Sajid's.
Farah Khan Remembers Late Mother Menaka Irani
The post featured a candid childhood photo of Khan’s birthday with late mother in a saree, a striking black-and-white throwback of her mother during her brief acting career, and two nostalgic images of Khan with her mother, including one from her 2004 wedding to filmmaker Shirish Kunder.
SRK Pays Respect to Farah Khan’s Late Mother; Celebrities Unite in Mourning
Actor Shah Rukh Khan, accompanied by his wife Gauri Khan and daughter Suhana Khan, visited Farah Khan's home on July 27 to pay their respects following the passing of Menaka Irani. The Khan family arrived at Farah's residence in the evening, and Shah Rukh was seen sharing a warm embrace with Farah before departing. Shah Rukh’s manager, Pooja Dadlani, was also present during the visit.
Several other celebrities showed their support by visiting Farah's home to honour her mother. Notable figures such as Rani Mukerji, Shilpa Shetty, Bhushan Kumar, and MC Stan were among those who came to pay their respects.
Farah Khan’s cousin and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar also honoured her late aunt, Menka Irani, on Instagram. Alongside a nostalgic photo, Zoya shared a heartfelt message: "Menka Aunty, you influenced my life in countless ways for which I will always be grateful. You encouraged my reading, brought laughter into my life, introduced me to country music, and made me feel uniquely cherished. You will forever be loved and remembered. Rest peacefully and powerfully."
Menaka Irani, Mother of Farah Passes Away at 79
On July 12, Farah Khan shared a heartfelt post on social media in honour of her mother’s special day. The touching photos showed Farah holding her mother’s hand, both smiling warmly for the camera. One of the pictures was a nostalgic black-and-white shot.
In her emotional birthday message, Farah wrote, “We all take our mothers for granted… especially me! This last month has been a revelation on how much I love my mom Menka. She has been the strongest, bravest person I’ve ever seen, her sense of humour intact even after multiple surgeries. Happy birthday mom! Today’s a good day to come back home ❤️ can’t wait for you to get strong enough to start fighting with me again.. I love you ❤️”
The post received an outpouring of love and support from the film industry, with veteran actors Anil Kapoor, Zareen Khan, Huma Qureshi, Abhishek Bachchan, and Ananya Panday among those sending their heartfelt wishes in the comments.
Who Was Menaka Irani?
Menaka Irani, who carved out a name for herself in the film industry with a role in the popular film Bachpan (1963), worked alongside notable actors such as Salim Khan, Daisy Irani, Manorama, and Bhudo Advani. The film was produced by Mrs. P. N. Irani, Sarosh Irani, and Daisy Irani under the New Panchratna Pictures banner.
Born into an Iranian Zoroastrian family, she was the youngest of the Iranian sisters. Her eldest sister, Daisy Irani, gained fame as a child actor. Another sister, Honey Irani, also a former child star, was married to scriptwriter Javed Akhtar. Honey and Javed's children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, have become prominent filmmakers in Bollywood.
Menaka Irani was married to Kamran Khan, a stuntman-turned-producer, and the couple had two children, Farah Khan and Sajid Khan. Both Farah and Sajid have made significant contributions to Indian cinema, with Farah known for her choreography and direction, and Sajid recognized for his work as a filmmaker and television host.
Khan once revealed in an interview that her father turned to alcohol after losing his money and passed away when Farah was just 18. During an interview with Radio Nasha, Farah discussed her family's film background, saying, "Yes, I belonged to a film family, but by the time I was five, we had become poor relatives. We lost all our money after my dad's film flopped. We experienced a riches-to-rags story. While the rest of the family was doing well, we were the charity cases. Sajid, our mother, and I were the ones in need. However, the family was very kind to us and allowed us to stay in their house."
Menaka Irani had been battling illness for some time, according to reports. Her passing is a significant loss to her family and the industry that she was a part of in her own way.
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