Zarine Khan, former actress and wife of veteran actor Sanjay Khan, passed away at the age of 81. As per reports, she had been battling age-related health issues and eventually succumbed to cardiac arrest. Her passing left the film fraternity in mourning, with close friends and colleagues visiting her residence to pay their final respects.Before marriage, Zarine was a successful model and was once considered a strong contender for the Miss India title. However, she left her modeling career after marrying Sanjay Khan. In a past conversation with iDiva, Zarine reflected on her journey, sharing glimpses of her early days with Sanjay.
She revealed that their relationship began around the time Sanjay’s acting career was starting to take off. Back then, he was underweight, and doctors had advised him to eat “eight bananas and a pack of butter every day.” Zarine added that she too had begun modeling and was being hailed as the next Miss India. However, Sanjay’s growing insecurity led to some tension. She recalled, “When I walked the ramp, Abbas would be sitting right behind growling. Those days he didn’t have a job, hence the irritation was all the more.”Zarine also recounted an opportunity that could have changed her life, supermodel Persis Khambatta had offered to take her to London for a two-year modeling contract. But Sanjay, then her boyfriend, gave her an ultimatum. “Persis Khambatta (supermodel/fashionista) even wanted to take me to London on a two-year contract. But my boyfriend was so possessive, he said ‘Either you go to London or stay with me’. I chose to be with him and I’m glad. Today, I have a family. Abbas liked churidars, so I started wearing them.”Despite their contrasting personalities, Zarine being calm and grounded, and Sanjay embodying a more flamboyant rock ’n’ roll vibe, the two connected deeply. Zarine once shared that during their second date, Sanjay proposed to her. She had replied that if her feelings for him remained unchanged after a year, they could think about marriage. Her composed and thoughtful response left a lasting impression on Sanjay, who decided she was the one.The couple married in 1996 and went on to have four children together – Sussanne Khan, Farah Ali Khan, Simone Khan and Zayed Khan.
