Zarine Khan, veteran actress and mother of Sussanne and Zayed Khan, passed away at the age of 81. Several celebrities paid their last respects to her and showed support towards their family. Her son Zayed did her last rites under the guidance of a pandit. It left several netizens wondering why Zarine’s funeral was held with a Hindu ritual.
Zarine Khan was a Zoroastrian, in which the funeral customs are different. The funeral ritual involves exposure to the elements in a Tower of Silence, where the body is consumed by birds, a practice known as excarnation. However, in modern times, this ritual is not always practical, and many Zoroastrians choose cremation for their funeral.
Zarine Khan was married to Sanjay Khan and had four children: Sussanne Khan, Zayed Khan, Farah Ali Khan and Simone Khan. She acted in a few movies including Tere Ghar Ke Saamne and Ek Phool Do Mali, before stepping away from the limelight. She married Sanjay Khan in 1966. Their marriage was considered unconventional at that time as Zarine was Parsi and Sanjay Khan is Muslim.
Her daughter Farah penned a heartfelt note on Instagram for her late mother. She wrote, “My mother, Zarine Khan, was a very special woman. Her philosophy of life was to ‘forgive and forget.’ She was kind-hearted, loved by all her friends and family, and cared deeply for everyone around her. Born a Parsi, married as a Muslim, and cremated according to Hindu rites — she epitomised humanity. She was the bond that held our family together, and her legacy is something we hope to live by.”
After quitting acting, Zarine Khan became an interior designer. She also wrote cook book, ‘Family Secrets: The Khan Family Cookbook’.
