Farah and Sajid Khan’s mother, Menaka Irani, passes away at 79

Menaka Irani, mother of Bollywood personalities Farah Khan and Sajid Khan, passed away on July 26 at the age of 79. Menaka singlehandedly raised her children after the death of her husband, Kamran Khan.

Farah Khan, in a 2005 interview with NDTV, credited her mother for her success. “I know I don’t say it often that I love you. If you were not in my life, if you were not the kind of person that you are, then Sajid and I would be different people,” she expressed, acknowledging her mother’s sacrifices for their education.

Farah further praised her mother’s honesty and values. “The values that you’ve instilled in us. I know you’re the most honest I’ve ever met. And the sense of humour that you have, the joy with which you live your life, it moulded me. If I become half the woman that you are, I’ll be very proud,” she said, bringing Menaka to tears.

Farah’s heartfelt birthday message on July 12 reflected her deep love and admiration for her mother. She wrote, “This last month has been a revelation on how much I love my mom Menaka... she’s been the strongest, bravest person I’ve ever seen... sense of humour 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.”

Sajid Khan also paid tribute to their mother on her birthday, sharing, “Happy Birthday mummy…”