Farah Khan, who subbed for Rohit Shetty for the special edition of his stunt reality show, admits she’s terrified of creepy crawlies
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 28, 2020)

On Sunday, Farah Khan posted a picture of herself from the set of Khatron Ke Khiladi—Made In India, at Film City, exulting that being back at a shoot is a “Top Of The World” feeling. Posing beside a bike with a helmet in hand, she looked every inch the daredevil host of a stunt reality show, but the filmmaker insists she was far from one.

“The channel warned me I couldn’t feel sorry for the contestants, most of whom I know from before, and tell them they could abort the task whenever they were in pain. But the fact is that I’m the first host on the show who was actually scared,” the director-choreographer chuckles, admitting that while she does not fear heights, some of the outdoor stunts in the curtain-raiser episodes made her worry. “For instance, when a car goes underwater, it can be really scary. And it would take a lot of money to make me get anywhere near creepy crawlies.”

Rithvik Dhanjani, Harsh Limbachiyaa, Rashami Desai, Nia Sharma, Jasmine Bhasin, Aly Goni, Jay Bhanushali and Karan Wahi are tackling their fears for this special edition of the show which is being shot entirely in India, Mumbai to be specific. Farah filled in for filmmaker-friend Rohit Shetty for the first weekend and acknowledges that it’s not something she ever saw herself doing. “But as the only woman director who’s had a lot of action in her films and a reality show junkie, I was on board in a flash when Rohit asked me to,” says Farah, who has hosted chat and cookery shows of her own and been a judge on several editions of Indian Idol and Nach Baliye. “Unlike Rohit, who can perform the stunts he gives the contestants, I was a funny host who kept spirits high.”

Her biggest fear was stepping out amidst the Coronavirus pandemic and she carried a suitcase full of essentials, including a bedsheet to cover her vanity van sofa, towels and napkins on all three days of the shoot. “The joy of being on a set is that you meet people and hug them, but here I was spraying everyone’s hands with sanitisers like it was puja ka prasad and screaming at them to wear masks. Even the food that I took along had to be sent to individual vanity vans,” she rues.

Insisting that this is the new norm and the sooner we accept it the better, she points out that after the 9/11 terror attacks, the travelling protocol changed completely and after the initial grouses, everyone accepted it as the norm. “I’ve never seen so many people out on the streets; it’s like a party out there. If people who don’t need to venture out, stay home, people who have to work can step out. I was adamant about not stepping out for any reason apart from work,” she grumbles.

However, having finished her part of the shoot, Farah is now isolating herself in a bedroom for the next seven-10 days and will only surface after she gets tested. “Shirish (Kunder, filmmaker-husband) has been shifted out of the bedroom and I think he’s enjoying the break,” she laughs, adding that her kids, who were in shock when they heard about her hosting the Indian Fear Factor, now think she’s cool. “We stand at each other’s bedroom doors and pretend to hug. They are on a break from school currently, so Anya and Diva have started a virtual party planning venture. Czar was labelled ‘irritating’ and fired by the girls. Now he’s looking for a job,” she deadpans.

Will she join Rohit to wrap up the show that she kicked off? “That depends on how the first two episodes fare. But I’d love to,” she signs off.

Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 4, 2020)

Every morning, when she wakes up, Farah Khan doesn’t have just her family or loved ones on her mind but also many others, who “are going through unimaginable situations” during the Coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing lockdown. “I have a simple mantra: I must do one good deed every day,” says the 55-year-old filmmaker.

Be it getting sanitary napkins for lady cops, arranging for masks and groceries, distributing water bottles among migrant labourers, helping a lady in Chennai who takes care of street dogs (after reading a story in HT City/Café’s special section Six Shots of Life) or now, “initiating the process of sponsoring” the education of Jyoti Kumari Paswan (the 15-year-old girl who cycled with her father from Gurugram to Bihar’s Darbhanga), Khan has been at it, without break.

“Not just me, there are so many people who want to do good work but don’t know how to do it. But at the same time, I am so proud of my friends such as Sonu Sood (actor), Vikas Khanna (chef) and even Shah Rukh (Khan; actor) — who is doing amazing work through Meer Foundation,” says the Main Hoon Na (2004) director, whose 12-year-old daughter, Anya, has raised ₹3 lakh through her sketches. “Till date, Anya — who is an animal lover — has done about 150 sketches. It’s nominally priced at ₹1,000 per sketch, but people have paid more as well,” she says.

The money has been used to buy groceries for people in slum pockets of areas such as Thane, Kalyan and Juhu Galli in Mumbai. The lady in Chennai was also helped through Anya’s sketch money.

Reportedly, politician and environmentalist Maneka Gandhi even wrote a mail to Khan, expressing how she was “very impressed” by Anya’s work. Ask the filmmaker about it, and she says, “I’ll continue to do whatever is within my capacity. I lived through a poor childhood. Probably, that’s why I’m empathetic towards people, especially the poor. I’ve worked very hard — and also had God’s blessings — to reach where I am today. So, the idea should be to give back to the needy when you have enough.”

Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 15, 2020)

From channelling their inner masterchefs, to dishing out some cool makeup tips and also learning a new instrument, Bollywood star kids are being creative while staying indoors due the ongoing pandemic. As B-Town continues to contribute and raise awareness, even their kids are doing their bit in this collective fight against the deadly novel Coronavirus. Farah Khan Kunder’s triplets, 12, too, have used social media to create awareness and raise money for the needy.

Her son, Czar Kunder, composed a rap song, titled Need To Survive, through which he requests people to stay optimistic and healthy. Kunder says, “My son didn’t just sing and rap, but also wrote the song. My daughters (Diva and Anya) helped him direct and edit the song and they did all this in five days. I was really impressed with them.”

Anya, too, is raising money for stray animals through painting. “She loves animals. Since we all are at home, Anya decided to use this time in a constructive manner. She has raised more than ₹70,000 in a week’s time by sketching pictures of pets for ₹1,000 a sketch,” she says.

Kunder adds that she is a proud parent, “My kids are worried about people not getting food or animals being abandoned and they want to contribute in little ways. At a time like this, even a ₹10 donation makes a huge difference and I am really proud of them.”

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; November 29, 2019)

She has donned multiple hats in showbiz — that of a filmmaker, writer, producer and actor. But the in-conversation session at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) started with Farah Khan making it clear that in her head, she is primarily a mother to her three children. Not the one to mince her words, she was her inimitable tongue-in-cheek self during the session. Read on...

‘It’s tough to work with directors who do not have any clarity, but want to interfere’
Farah, who first made her mark as a choreographer before exploring other roles, said that when directors don’t have a clear vision for their songs, it gets difficult for a choreographer. She said, “They will say things like, ‘It’s a college song, with a 40-year-old hero dancing around’, or ‘It’s a wedding track, an item song, abhi aap kuch bhi karo’. But there are also those who have a clear idea of how the song will take the narrative forward, for example, Mani Ratnam, Kundan Shah (Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa), and Mansoor Khan (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar). Shirish (Kunder, her filmmaker husband) was like that too, with Jaan-E-Mann; he was clear about the songs, maybe not so much about the rest of the movie (laughs!). Then there are those directors who do not have a vision, but do not interfere. It’s easy to work with them. The worst are those who do not have any clarity, but want to interfere.”

‘A movie can engage me on different levels, but I don’t expect it to educate me’
Farah has always been unapologetic about the films she makes — typical Bollywood commercial potboilers. And, she doesn’t agree with the notion that commercial movies are brainless entertainers. She said, “I love all kinds of movies. I love some for their thehraav, because my movies lack that. Mine are always energetic; I don’t want people to get bored. A movie can engage me on different levels, but I don’t expect it to educate me, at least not in an overtly preachy manner, because I went to school for that. If it’s a Munna Bhai, it’s great; it’s funny and tongue-in-cheek and is still telling you something at the end. But now there seems to be a pressure ki ‘bolo, bolo, social message do!’ I feel that’s not the primary objective of a film.”

‘Parity will never be achieved if we divide professionals on the basis of their gender’
Farah also said that she doesn’t want to be slotted as ‘the woman director’. She shared, “I don’t like crutches. I genuinely don’t think that a director needs to be seen through the lens of gender. It’s not a gender-specific job. It’s not like an actor or an actress, who can play only male and female characters, respectively. In fact, sometimes they do both as well. So, the gender bias is something that I have rejected since the beginning.”

She added, “I have often been asked to join photo shoots with fellow female directors. But, I would decline the request saying that I would do it if they wanted to do a photo shoot with directors. Don’t slot me. Quite strangely, I find a lot of women directors not only accepting, but also reveling in that (gender specification), which I don’t think should be the case. Because then in the same vein, you talk about gender parity and pay parity. That will never be achieved if we divide professionals on the basis of their gender.”

Talking about parity, isn’t it true that actresses have a shorter shelf-life compared to their male counterparts? “It’s a business module. Big-ticket movies with big heroes tend to get more business and I blame the audience for that. The moment the audience chooses a female-centric movie over a herodriven one and makes it a big hit, that cycle will break,” she replied.

‘In my movies, I make sure that the woman is not there just to romance the hero’
Even though she doesn’t want to be slotted as a ‘woman director’, Farah is clear about the representation of women in her films. She said, “In my movies, I make sure that the woman is not there just to romance the hero. Also, you won’t see vulgarity. There will be song and dance and they will look glamorous and sexy, but it won’t be vulgar.”

Talking about vulgarity, the conversation steered towards item songs, and Farah noted, “In the ‘90s and early ‘2000s, we did a lot of songs which are now slammed for objectifying women. But it was perfectly fine at that time because most people hadn’t realised that it was wrong. Back then, a Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast or Chane Ke Khet Mein were okay. But, as you grow and learn, you realise that it’s not right. Fortunately, for me, I have never done an obscene or vulgar number. I have done a Munni Badnaam Hui and Sheila Ki Jawani, but they were tongue-in-cheek tracks. Today, we are more conscious and exercise restraint in the lyrics.”

‘I watched La La Land and I was like, what’s the big deal?’
Talking about her dream project, Farah revealed that she would like to make Tom Cruise dance. She also expressed interest in doing an international musical, but a la Bollywood style. “I watched La La Land and I was like, what’s the big deal? Hamari har picture aisi hoti hai and we do it bigger and better. Though it was a lovely movie, the song and dance were comparatively less,” she signed off.

Bharati K Dubey (DNA; October 25, 2017)

While we are celebrating the trend of female-oriented films like the recently released Secret Superstar or the still-to-release Anushka Sharma’s Pari, and Vidya Balan’s Tumhari Sulu or Deepika Padukone’s Padmavati, the fact is, these are just exceptions.

A lot of female-oriented films never made it beyond the script stage, even if they were small-budget films. Not just small writers and directors, even a big filmmaker like Farah Khan is facing that problem. It appears that her plan to make a film with a female protagonist may not happen.

Not one to back down, the filmmaker is now considering turning the subject into a web series. Farah reasons, “I had planned to make a small film before I started a big film, but realised that big film or small, the struggle is the same. You still have to get the script right. We were not happy with the second half of the script. Like my husband Shirish Kunder points out, you don’t make money with small films and if it doesn’t work, you get abused. It is better to make big films. We did try making a small film but every film has its destiny. Maybe, I’ll make a web series out of it.”

Back on TV, the ace choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan talks about her new show Lip Sing Battle, and why she prefers to pick and choose instead of undertaking round-the-year projects
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 17, 2017)

Farah Khan now has a lookalike Karah Khan. She not only dresses like her, but can make stars dance to her tunes, perhaps plan a film with Shah Rukh Khan, mince no words and has no qualms about laughing at herself.

The ace choreographer-filmmaker is back on the small screen with a weekend dance and music show, 'Lip Sing Battle'. Karah happens to be funny man Ali Asgar, who impersonates her. For starters, Karah wants to take over the show.

We are on the set of 'Lip Sing Battle' at Yash Raj Studios, Andheri, where Khan has just packed off one more episode. She kicks off her killer heels and settles for flat, comfy footwear. "I am not a judge on the show, where you wear fancy dresses and sit, give marks and occasionally get up to clap. I am the presenter with Ali as the co-host. There's lots more to do here. Coordinating the guests which consists of Bollywood stars besides singers and sports folk. Making them let down their hair is no easy task. Also, the stars have to dance to other actors' tracks, not from their own films as they might be familiar with the lyrics."

Lip Sing Battle's concept is based on the American reality show, 'Lip Sync Battle', which has celebrities battle each other with lip sync performances. It was used on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' before it was developed into a separate show. But to suit the desi audience, it has been called 'Lip Sing Battle'. "The makers felt people will say sync as sing, so they decided to change it."


Hectic pace
Khan has shot for five episodes and the plan is to run it for 20 episodes. "By the end of it, I think I will have to get myself admitted to the Jindal nature cure institute. I might just collapse. I have to constantly be on my toes." Considering that most guests are from the industry and are known to her, she's thankful that she is not judging them. "They would kill me if I gave them low scores."

Arjun Kapoor, Karan Johar, Parineeti Chopra, Preity Zinta, Farhan Akhtar and Raveena Tandon have already shot for the show. She is hopeful of getting Sunny Deol on board, knowing his aversion to dance. "It will be fun to watch him." She's also roping in buddy, tennis champ Sania Mirza, besides cricketers like Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh. "It is for people who want to have fun and do crazy stuff. They have to let themselves go. I knew Farhan Akhtar had directed Shankar Mahadevan's Breathless video so I made him sing it. He was breathless himself after the performance. We had kept oxygen ready for him."

She cites the case of Arjun Kapoor, who landed on the set to see Farhan rehearsing. "Arjun then decided to take two hours off to prepare for his act. The winner is decided by a studio audience."


String of shows
Khan has been on the tube since 2004 when she judged Indian Idol. She has gone on to do several shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Nach Baliye, Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karege and even a cookery show, Farah Ki Dawat. Khan combines her TV outings with films, but makes sure she spaces them out to ensure she spends time with her triplets (Anya, Czar and Diva). "I am a mango, not a banana. I prefer to take up seasonal offers. I always give gaps between new assignments," says Khan, whose last directorial outing was Happy New Year (2014).

'Lip Sing Battle' has made Khan realise that the industry needs fresh talent. "When we cast for the show, there are only so many people we can choose from. We do need many more new faces in the industry."

Farah Khan, who's been judging reality shows, wants to return to direction ASAP
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; December 28, 2016)

News about director Farah Khan's upcoming project, supposedly a celebration of girl power, hit headlines for multiple reasons over the past few months. Soon after murmurs of Parineeti Chopra and Alia Bhatt being cast as the leading stars died down, speculations about the film being postponed due to Farah's unavailability, also did the rounds.

But the filmmaker, who recently finished judging a dance reality show, only to jump into mentoring duties for a music reality programme, says, "My film will kick off next year. I'm itching to come back (to filmmaking) but I don't want to jump the gun. I am extremely excited about my two girls, but we need to tweak the second half. It's a unique concept and I may take another three to four months to get it right."

The choreographer-turned-director has garnered several admirers over the years owing to the multiple hats she dons. Yet Farah's hubby, Shirish Kunder, she says, has never complimented her. "In fact, I'll be worried if he begins to do so. He is brutally honest with me, which is lovely when you say it but not quite the same when you hear it. Kabhi toh kuch jhoot bhi bolde (Sometimes he should just lie). There is no validation from his side."

The list of films Farah has helmed since her debut with 2004's Main Hoon Na can be counted on one's fingers; yet, the project she's often trolled for is one she hasn't directed. "I face a lot of flak for making Himmatwala (directed by her brother Sajid Khan), but I want to remind people that I haven't made that film," she asserts. Farah confesses to having received several offers for a biography. "But a story on my life would seem like a script from the '70s. I've always said, my life is a bad script waiting to happen," she signs off.