Zayed Khan recalls family's financial crisis: ‘Home was mortgaged, we sold our cars'
Bollywood actor Zayed Khan, son of acclaimed actor-director Sanjay Khan, recently opened up about a difficult phase in his family's life. In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Zayed recalled how a massive fire on his father's show set not only left Sanjay with third-degree burns but also pushed the family into a financial crisis. He revealed that, during that time, their house had to be mortgaged to cope with the situation. (Also Read: Cousins Fardeen Khan, Zayed Khan and Sussanne Khan celebrate Holi together with Hridaan and the kids: Pics)
Zayed shared that his mother is like 'God' to him and recalled how the family faced financial struggles after a fire broke out on the set of his father's show, The Sword of Tipu Sultan. He said, 'My dad had a fire accident at that time, during Tipu Sultan. There was a lot of distress at home, and the way I saw my mother and sisters during that period really hurt me deeply. The family was extremely financially burdened at that time. A lot of people had passed away in that fire, and there was no insurance at the time. I saw a lot of pain in my mother and sisters and how they took up the mantle to support my father.'
He also revealed whether the family had to make compromises in their lifestyle due to the financial burden and said, 'Like take autos, sell cars and get into taxis — yes. Our house was mortgaged, and many other things. You truly see who your friends are during times like that. We got better cars again once we came out of the situation.'
He further recalled that he had suggested his parents enrol him in a boarding school, as his mother already had a lot of people to take care of. He also remembered the sense of achievement he felt when he handed over his first paycheque from his debut film to his mother.
In 1989, Sanjay Khan was shooting for his show The Sword of Tipu Sultan when a fire broke out on set. Due to the unavailability of firefighting equipment, 52 crew members lost their lives. The 78-year-old actor-director underwent 74 surgeries after suffering third-degree burns. However, after recovering, he completed the shoot of the show.
Meanwhile, Zayed made his acting debut with Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne in 2003 but rose to fame with his role in the blockbuster Main Hoon Na alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Known for his charming screen presence, Zayed appeared in films like Dus, Shabd, Fight Club, and Yuvvraaj. However, his career soon slowed down, and he stepped away from films to focus on his family. In 2023, the actor shared plans to return to acting but did not reveal much about his comeback project.
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