Farah Khan and Sajid Khan are grieving the loss of their mother, Menaka Irani, who passed away on Friday in Mumbai. Menaka Irani, sister to renowned child actors Daisy Irani and Honey Irani, had a brief acting career with a notable role in the 1963 film Bachpan, alongside her sister Daisy. Reports indicate that Menaka had been ill for some time before her death.
Her passing comes shortly after she celebrated her birthday. On July 12, Farah Khan shared a heartfelt tribute to her mother on social media, featuring touching images of them together, including a poignant monochrome photograph.
In her emotional birthday post, Farah reflected on her relationship with her mother, writing, “We all take our mothers for granted… especially me! This last month has been a revelation on how much I love my mom Menka. She has been the strongest, bravest person I’ve ever seen, her sense of humor intact even after multiple surgeries. Happy birthday mom! Today’s a good day to come back home ❤️ can’t wait for you to get strong enough to start fighting with me again.. I love you.”
The post garnered widespread support from the film industry, with tributes pouring in from veterans such as Anil Kapoor, Zareen Khan, Huma Qureshi, Abhishek Bachchan, and Ananya Panday.
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Farah Khan had previously spoken about the financial struggles faced by her family following the death of their father, Kamran Khan, due to alcoholism. She recounted on Radio Nasha how she, her brother Sajid, and their mother went through significant hardships.
“Yes, I belonged to a filmy family, but by the time I turned five, we were the poor cousins. We’d lost all our money, dad’s film had flopped. We had a riches-to-rags story. So, while the rest of the family was thriving, we became the charity cases. Sajid, our mother, and I were supported by our relatives, who graciously let us stay in their house,” Farah shared, highlighting the strength and unity that helped them endure.
Menaka Irani’s maternal aunt, Daisy Irani, remains a celebrated figure in the film industry, known for her roles in classics such as Naya Daur, Bandish, Kya Kehna, and Happy New Year.
