Happy birthday to the film director, writer, film producer, choreographer, judge and more!
Renowned for choreographing over a hundred songs across more than 80 films, and winning the National Film Award for Best Choreography along with seven Filmfare Awards, Farah Khan is now known more as a film director and reality show judge. Her journey spans Bollywood, Tamil cinema, and international projects. It’s fascinating to see how the director of ‘Om Shanti Om’ made the leap from choreography to directing. Let us look at the story of Farah Khan’s evolution from a celebrated choreographer to a visionary film director.
While studying sociology at St. Xavier's College, Bombay, Farah Khan's life took a pivotal turn when Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ music video fascinated her. Though she had never danced before, the video sparked a passion that soon became her calling. Self-taught and driven, she formed her own dance group and began her journey in choreography.
Her big break came when Saroj Khan exited the film ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar’, and Farah stepped in to take over. She fondly recalls choreographing numerous Telugu songs with star Nagarjuna, who was instrumental in boosting her pay, raising it to around 10k or 15k per song at the time.
Farah's talent extended beyond Bollywood, with notable collaborations on international projects like ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘Bombay Dreams.’ She even trained Colombian pop star Shakira for a Bollywood rendition of ‘Hips Don't Lie.’
In 2004, Farah Khan made a shift from choreography to directing with her debut film ‘Main Hoon Na,’ featuring Shahrukh Khan and Sushmita Sen in lead roles, under the banner of Red Chillies Entertainment. The film was met with positive reviews and became the second highest-grossing Indian film of the year. It also earned Farah her first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Director, making her the second female director to receive this honor.
Building on her success, she directed ‘Om Shanti Om’, another blockbuster that cemented her reputation for creating commercially successful and entertaining films. This film brought Farah her second Filmfare nomination for Best Director, making her the first female director to achieve this distinction twice. Despite the lukewarm response to her comedy ‘Tees Maar Khan,’ Farah made a strong comeback with the dance heist comedy ‘Happy New Year’, marking a resurgence in her directorial career.
Farah Khan is much more than a choreographer or director. Alongside her husband Shirish Kunder, she launched their production company, Three's Company. She's also a popular TV personality, hosting and judging reality shows, and has found success as a vlogger, connecting with fans through her lively online content.