Farah Khan Ali shares Zarine’s notes on first death anniversary

Farah Khan Ali marked the first death anniversary of her mother, Zarine Khan, with a personal archive of handwritten notes, photographs and videos — some of the letters going back to 1992.

The pictures and clips Farah selected show the side of Zarine the family wants remembered: Zarine at parties, often the centre of attention, dressing up and celebrating wholeheartedly.

A remembrance set against Diwali

The anniversary falls on 7 November 2026, on the eve of Diwali. Farah wrote that the festival lights remind her of the light her mother brought into the family’s life and into the lives of many others.

At the same time, she made the mood clear. This is not a Diwali of celebration for her, but a day to remember and honour the woman the family was blessed to call their mother.

What the letters reveal

The handwritten pages are not simply old mementos. Farah described how Zarine wrote about kindness, the power of words, believing in yourself and never taking the people you love for granted. Zarine called her three daughters her best friends, and in one letter she told Farah how much she missed her “mad chatter” at home.

• Kindness — a recurring theme in the notes.
• The power of words — a subject Farah says her mother returned to often.
• Believing in yourself — an encouragement she left for her children.
• Never taking loved ones for granted — the value the letters keep underlining.

Who Zarine Khan was beyond the tribute

Born into a Parsi family and married to actor Sanjay Khan, Zarine built a life around homes, food and gatherings. She worked as an interior designer and authored the cookbook “Family Secrets: The Khan Family Cookbook.” When she died in November 2025, her son, actor Zayed Khan, performed her last rites following Hindu cremation traditions, according to the family.

For Bollywood fans, that detail matters: Zarine may not have been in front of the camera, but she was part of a star family whose festivals, alliances and losses have long been public property.

The legacy Farah wants kept alive

Farah ended the tribute with a line that now reads like a promise: “You loved life, Mom. And life loved you right back.” A year after the loss, the letters are how she keeps that life visible — not only as grief, but as instruction in warmth, confidence and care.

Source: The Times of India