When Zarine Khan, the 81-year-old widow of veteran actor Sanjay Khan, passed away at her Mumbai home on November 7, 2025, the world didn’t just lose a former actress — it lost a quiet matriarch whose life bridged faiths, families, and generations of Bollywood. Her last rites, performed that same evening at a crematorium in Mumbai, followed Hindu customs — a choice that surprised many, given her Parsi roots as Zarine Katrak. But for those who knew the family, it wasn’t unexpected. The Khans, despite Sanjay Khan’s Muslim heritage, have long lived within Hindu cultural frameworks, and this final ritual was less a deviation than a continuation of decades of lived tradition.
Family Grief in Full View
At 17:47 IST, mourners began arriving at the cremation site. By 18:33 IST, as captured on video and reported by NDTV, the air was thick with silence — broken only by sobs. Zayed Khan, her son and a respected actor in his own right, sat beside her body, hands folded, tears streaming. His grief was raw, unfiltered. Across from him, Sussanne Khan, her daughter and former wife of Hrithik Roshan, clutched her siblings — Simone Arora and Farah Ali Khan — as if holding on to the last fragments of their shared childhood. Sanjay Khan, 83, stood still, eyes closed, hands clasped. He didn’t cry. He didn’t need to.A Star-Studded Farewell
The list of attendees read like a who’s who of Indian cinema. Hrithik Roshan, though divorced from Sussanne since 2014, came early — not as an ex-son-in-law, but as a father to Hridaan and Hrehaan, who still call Zarine Khan ‘Dadi.’ He was accompanied by his partner, singer Saba Azad. Bobby Deol, visibly shaken, tried to mask his emotion with a cap pulled low. Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan, 77, arrived with her daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda, both bowing their heads in quiet reverence. Film director Zoya Akhtar and producer Madhur Bhandarkar were among the many who came not for publicity, but because they’d known Zarine for decades.Then came the moment that went viral: Jackie Shroff, 68, turned sharply toward a cluster of photographers and snapped, “behave.” The clip, recorded at 18:33 IST, spread instantly. It wasn’t anger — it was protection. A father figure shielding a grieving family from the noise of fame.
Why Hindu Rites for a Parsi Woman?
This is the question that lingers. Zarine Katrak was born into a Parsi Zoroastrian family — a community known for its distinct death rituals, including sky burials. Yet, her funeral followed the Hindu antim sanskar: the chanting of mantras, the circling of the pyre, the offering of ghee and rice. Why?The answer lies in Sanjay Khan’s journey. Born Sayyed Faisal Khan in Hyderabad, he grew up in a household that embraced cultural fluidity. In the 1960s, when Bollywood was still navigating identity, he chose to align with Hindu rituals — not out of conversion, but out of belonging. He married Zarine in 1966, and together they raised their children in a home where Diwali was celebrated as loudly as Eid. Their daughters became interior designers, following a path Zarine herself pioneered after retiring from acting in 1969. Their son Zayed, born in 1978, never questioned the rituals — they were simply family.
“It wasn’t about religion,” said a close friend of the family, speaking anonymously. “It was about home. And home, for them, was where the fire burned.”
The Ripple Across Bollywood
Zarine Khan’s career was brief — two films, Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (1963) and Ek Phool Do Mali (1969) — but her legacy is vast. She didn’t just marry into Bollywood; she helped shape its emotional architecture. Her daughter Sussanne’s design studio, which counts many stars as clients, carries her aesthetic. Her grandchildren, Hridaan and Hrehaan, now teenagers, are being raised with stories of their grandmother’s quiet strength.For the industry, her death was a mirror. It reminded everyone that behind the glitter, there are families who choose love over dogma. That identity isn’t always about birth — it’s about belonging. That grief, when shared, becomes sacred.
What Comes Next?
No public memorial has been announced. But according to Hindu tradition, the family will observe the 13-day Terahvin ritual, culminating in a final offering to the departed soul. This period, often private, is when relatives gather to recite prayers, share memories, and slowly begin to let go. It’s likely the Khans will host this quietly, as they lived — with dignity, and without fanfare.What’s remarkable isn’t that a Parsi woman was cremated in Hindu style. It’s that no one questioned it. Not really. Because in the Khan household, love didn’t need permission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Zarine Khan’s last rites performed in Hindu style despite her Parsi background?
Though Zarine Khan was born into a Parsi family with the surname Katrak, she married Sanjay Khan in 1966 and adopted the cultural practices of his household, which had long integrated Hindu traditions. The family, including their children, lived in a syncretic space where festivals like Diwali and Holi were celebrated as naturally as Eid. Her funeral followed Hindu rites because it reflected decades of lived identity, not doctrinal conversion — a choice made by the family out of continuity, not contradiction.
Who conducted the cremation, and why was Zayed Khan’s grief so visible?
Zayed Khan, Zarine’s second son and a Bollywood actor, performed the final rites as per Hindu custom, a duty traditionally held by the eldest son. His visible grief — sobbing with folded hands beside her body — reflected both personal loss and cultural responsibility. In Hindu tradition, the son who lights the pyre is believed to guide the soul’s journey; for Zayed, this wasn’t just ritual — it was the last act of devotion to the woman who raised him.
How did Hrithik Roshan’s presence reflect his relationship with the family?
Though divorced from Sussanne Khan since 2014, Hrithik Roshan remained deeply connected to the family as co-parent of their two sons, Hridaan and Hrehaan. His attendance — accompanied by his partner Saba Azad — signaled respect for Zarine as a grandmother, not just a former mother-in-law. His presence underscored how, in Indian families, bonds forged through children often outlast marriages.
What role did Jackie Shroff’s outburst play in the public perception of the funeral?
Jackie Shroff’s sharp command to paparazzi — “behave” — at 18:33 IST became a viral moment because it captured a rare, human boundary in celebrity culture. In an industry where funerals are often exploited for clicks, his intervention was seen as a protective act — not of fame, but of grief. It reminded the public that behind every headline is a family in pain, deserving of dignity.
Will there be a public memorial or tribute for Zarine Khan?
No public memorial has been announced. The family is expected to observe the traditional 13-day Hindu mourning period, known as Terahvin, which includes private prayers and rituals. Given the Khans’ preference for privacy, any public tribute — if it comes — will likely be initiated by colleagues or fans, not the family. A tribute at a Mumbai cinema or a charity in Zarine’s name remains possible, but nothing is confirmed.
How did Zarine Khan influence Bollywood beyond her acting career?
After retiring from acting in 1969, Zarine Khan became a pioneer in interior design, shaping the aesthetic of many elite Mumbai homes — including those of fellow actors. Her daughter Sussanne followed in her footsteps, founding a design firm that counts stars among its clients. Zarine’s quiet influence extended to mentoring young designers and fostering a culture of elegance and understated luxury in Bollywood’s private spaces — a legacy far more enduring than her two film roles.
