With Just Rs 30 In Her Pocket Once, How Farah Khan Became One Of The Richest Bollywood Directors

Choreographer and director Farah Khan is counted as one of the most successful directors in Bollywood. She directed the debut film of Deepika Padukone which acted as a breakthrough for the actress. Farah Khan is famous among the stars for her humorous nature but life was never a bed of roses for her. Due to financial constraints, she had to spend six years in a storeroom with her family. There was a time when the filmmaker did not have the money for the last rites of her father, Kamran Khan.

As per reports, the choreographer-turned-filmmaker is now worth over Rs 85 crore, which makes her even richer than many of the younger leading actors in Bollywood, no mean feat for someone who started their career as a backup dancer.

Many stars have travelled from rags to riches. Farah Khan was also one of them. Farah Khan’s father Kamran Khan was a stuntman who later became a filmmaker. During her studies at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, Farah was greatly influenced by Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video. It impressed her so much that she started learning dance. She formed her dance group after learning dance.

Her family was once financially stable, but difficulties arose when her father’s money invested in films started sinking. All his savings were gone. He sold his wife’s property, including jewellery, to pay off the debt. Farah was just 18 years old when her father died. They had to borrow money from neighbours to perform their father’s last rites, confessed Farah Khan in a podcast with Manish Paul.

Farah Khan started her journey in Bollywood as a choreographer for Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya in 1986. She gained breakthrough with films like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Pehla Nasha and others.

She was one of the highest-paid choreographers during the production of Kabhi Haa Kabhie Naa. In an interview with Radio Nasha, Farah Khan said “The budget was very low. Shahrukh Khan got Rs 25,000 for the film. I was the highest-paid person in that film. I got Rs 5,000 for each song and there were six songs in it. I got Rs 30,000. We could not even arrange an assistant.’

Farah Khan married Shirish Kunder in 2004, with whom she has three children. She made her directorial debut with the film Mai Hoon Na starring Shah Rukh in the lead role.