Farah Khan

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Farah Khan had a blissful childhood Farah Khan was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her father, Kamram Khan, was a popular actor in stunt films of the late 50 and 60. He was a rich man as he had made a lot of money working with top actors like Dara Singh, Sheikh Mukhtar, Habeeb, Mahipal, Dev Kumar etc all top names of stunt films, which a had a dedicated audience and the movies made money at box office. Some of his father’s movies were Police Station (1959), Shahi Farman (1961), Black Rider (1960) etc. Hence Farah Khan and her younger brother Sajid Khan had a blissful childhood. Their house was a heaven with film stars and parties doing the rounds. Destiny took away all the wealth with her father’s death When life was sailing smoothly, Farah’s father made a big blunder in his life. He produced a film Aisa Bhi Hota Hai (1971) staring upcoming actors Jalal Agha and Nadita Bose. But the film was a disaster at box –office and her father was in severe debt. He had to sell everything including his wife’s jewelry and was bankrupt! In frustration he took to liquor. He would daily, under the influence of liquor, have fight with her wife. Frequent fights between father and mother became common and a day came when her parents divorced. Farah and Sajid had to face many tribulations. Poverty reached apex when her father died and Farah Khan had no money to perform last rites of her father. She begged her close relatives and conducted the rituals. Michael Jackson’s Thriller became instrumental in making Farah Khan’s Choreographer Farah Khan was pursing Sociology at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai and had no dream of joining films as she had seen her father undergo the harsh realities of Bollywood. However while she was still in college she happened to watch popular Hollywood sensation Michael Jackson’s super hit number Thriller and was left dumbfounded by the legends mesmerizing dance. The impact of Jackson’s dance was so powerful that Farah Khan lost all her interest in her studies and became almost crazy of Jackson and his dance. She spent long hours practicing his steps and even formed her Dance Group. Farah Khan was expelled from St Xavier College Her obsession for dance became so intense that she skipped her class in college and would keep involved in training herself in dancing. As a result St Xavier College had expelled her due to poor attendance. But Farah Khan was not bothered as she had got direction in her life and she pursued dancing with all her dedication. She confessed that she has no formal training in dancing and whatever creative skill she acquired is all through her hard work and self- learning. She regrets that she had no guru in teaching. She later completed her graduation through correspondence course.

More than looks, Farah Khan was impressed by Shirish Kunder intelligence Before marrying Shirish Kunder, editor and filmmaker, Farah Khan had an affair outside film industry but it did not last. Farah Khan first came in contact with Shirish during the making of the film Main Hoon Na, in which Shirish was editing the film. Shirish Kunder had a crush on Farah Khan hence he did the film at a lower price than his usual market rate. During the making of the film; the two came close. And once during a party, Shirish opened his heart to Farah under the influence of alcohol. Farah, who had herself started liking Shirish, not for his personality but for his intelligence gave her nod. The two tied the nuptial knot on December 9, 2004

Filmmaker M.S Sathyu gave Farah Khan her first break Farah Khan struggled a lot to make her career in films. As she had not enough money to join dancing classes hence she self taught herself dancing watching legendary dancers’ dances on video and tried to copy them. She would appear in many dance competitions and win prices. She wandered from studio to studio to become an assistant to either a film director or film chorographer. But she did not get an opportunity. Finally legendary film maker M.S.Sathyu, who had made the iconic film Garam Hawa (1974) came to Farah’s rescue. Incidentally Sathyu stayed in the same building where Farah lived. He was making a film called Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya (1981). He was looking for a choreographer who could choreograph the title song economically. He recalled about Farah and gave her the opportunity. Farah still remembers that Sathyu had paid her some Rs 500 for the song. She is not sure whether Sathyu gave her credit on screen. Nevertheless the credential that she had worked with M.S. Sathyu helped her entry into films. Farah Khan credits destiny behind her first successful song Pehla Nasha After Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya (1981) it was not an easy path for Farah to enter Bollywood. Despite talent she could not get job in any film. Hence frustrated she decided to take up a career in film direction and joined Aamir Khan’s cousin, Mansoor Khan as assistant director. Mansoor Khan was making Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992). Though she was the assistant director in the film but destiny had other plans because her career’s first major hit song Pehla Nasha…shot on Aamir Khan in the film was originally to be choreographed by veteran choreographer Saroj Khan but it is pure destiny that on the day of shooting when everything was ready, Saroj Khan did not turn-up. She went to Kodaikanal, without notice. Left in a tight spot, film director Mansoor Khan, asked her assistant Farah Khan to go ahead and shoot the song. It was a golden opportunity to display her talent and Farah left no stone unturned. She choreographed the song so innovatively with Aamir dancing in his bedroom; jumping over trees and fences in the picaresque Ooty hill that the song became a milestone in her career. However Farah Khan lost the Filmfare Award to Saroj Khan, who won the award for the super hit song Dhak Dhak karne laga ( 1993). Farah Khan rates her song Dhol bajne laga… from Virasat fetched her creditability Though Farah Khan won stardom with Prhal Nasha and was flooded with offers but still top filmmakers had reservations like Shekhar Kapur, who felt she was only suited for urbane and western song. Farah Khan was very sad when Shekhar Kapur rejected her for his film Bandit Queen suspecting her ability to choreograph rural folk song. But after Priyadarshan’s Virasat (1997) she proved her mastery in folk songs with the award winning number Dhol bahjne laga… She even fetched both Filmfare and Screen Best Choreographer award for the song and this opened a floodgate of awards and movies in her lap. Farah Khan won her first National Award for Koi Mil Gaya It is surprising despite her superlative step for Hrithik Roshan in his debut film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (KNPH) (2000) for the super hit song Ek Pal Ka Jeena … which became the signature step of Hrithik Roshan, Farah Khan won her first National Award for Best Choreography for Hrithik Roshan’s other song Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala… for the film Koi Mil Gaya (2003). Her hit songs include Chaiyya Chaiyya…. Dil Se (1998), Chale Jaise Hawayein… Main Hoon Na (2004), Ek Pal Ka Jeena…….. Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000), Dhoom Taana… Om Shanti Om (2007), Munni Badnaam Hui… Dabangg (2010), Sheila Ki Jawani… Tees Maar Khan (2010), Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai…. Sultan (2016),