Last year, former actor Zarine Khan passed away at her Mumbai residence, following which visuals of her son Zayed Khan performing her last rites as per Hindu rituals emerged, sparking conversation online. Now, addressing the backlash, Zayed has revealed that it was his mother’s final wish for her ashes to be immersed in a river.
Zayed Khan on mother’s funeral
In a recent interview with Zoom, Zayed got emotional as he recalled his mother Zarine Khan’s final wish. He also addressed the questions raised over her Hindu funeral rites, despite her being married into a Muslim family and having Parsi roots.
Zayed shared that ‘insaaniyat’ (humanity) is the foremost religion in his home. The actor noted that his staff come from diverse backgrounds, and beyond taking care of their accommodation, food, and expenses, his family also ensures their children have access to opportunities they need.
“We as a family find religion to be something very personal to you, and how you want to approach it, and not something which is better and which is worse. These are not things that are good to say. We define ourselves by being a very secular family, and we don’t need to say why,” Zayed said.
He went on to reveal his mother’s last wish while recalling the day she was sitting by a ‘lovely river’, and “the thought just passed her head, saying that if I ever go, I want my ashes to flow in this river. I want to be free”.
Zayed added, “Whatever your mother’s last wishes, it will be done. It doesn’t matter what other people say. It doesn’t matter how hateful they can be. I don’t blame them, halat aise hai (situation is such), unfortunately. Unn halaton ko badalne mein waqt lagega (It will take time to change those circumstances).”
Zarine Khan’s death
On November 7 last year, Zayed Khan and Sussanne Khan’s mother, Zarine Khan, died in Mumbai. Zarine passed away at the age of 81 due to age-related ailments. Her son Zayed performed the final rites according to Hindu traditions, despite her Parsi origins.
Zarine appeared in the Hindi film Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963) along with Dev Anand. She met actor Sanjay Khan in the 1960s and got married in 1966.
Zarine is survived by Sanjay and their children, son Zayed and daughters Sussanne, Farah, and Simone Arora. Zarine and Sanjay celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in April last year.
