Zarine Khan Once Left A Promising Modelling Career For Sanjay Khan — Here’s How It All Began
Zarine Khan, before marrying Sanjay Khan, was a well-known model. But she had to leave her career just to be with him. Read on to know more about what happened.
When Zarine Khan Left Modelling Career To Marry Sanjay Khan (Photo Credit – Instagram/Wikipedia)
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Veteran star Zarine Khan’s passing on November 7, 2025, has left many in the film industry and fans reminiscing about her grace, charm, and extraordinary life choices. As tributes pour in, one anecdote that stands out is her love story with Sanjay Khan and leaving her career for the same. Zarine Khatrak was a promising young model whose future in fashion looked bright. But fate and love had other plans when she crossed paths with a young, ambitious actor named Sanjay Khan.
How Zarine Khan Met Sanjay Khan — A Beachside “Hi” That Started It All
It was a sunny morning in Juhu when 14-year-old Zarine Khatrak, then a schoolgirl and budding beauty, went for a walk with her friend along the shoreline. The dashing young Pathans, including Sanjay Khan (known as Abbas then), had just moved into her neighbourhood.
As fate would have it, she noticed Abbas walking ahead of them. He turned around and playfully wrote “Hi” in the sand. Her friend replied with another “Hi,” and soon after, he caught up to them, starting a conversation that would mark the beginning of something unforgettable.
Later that day, Abbas invited her for coffee. Dressed in white with a book in hand, he impressed young Zarine with his charm, intellect, and confidence. What began as a casual meeting soon turned into a deep connection. Within days, Abbas expressed his feelings, and although Zarine asked for time, their bond only grew stronger with each passing moment.
ZARINE KHAN, Sanjay Khan’s Wife and mother of Zayed Khan, died at 81
due to age-related ailments.
She breathed her last at her Mumbai residence.
Zarine khan is survived by her husband, Sanjay Khan and 4 kids Sussane khan, Simon Arora, Farah Ali khan & Zayed Khan.
Zarine Khatrak — The Model Who Gave It All Up For Love
Zarine Khatrak, before getting involved in a relationship with Sanjay Khan, was a popular model. She was even touted to be the next Miss India. Persis Khambatta, a fashionista and supermodel, wanted to take her on a two-year contract in London. In an interview with Filmfare, she revealed how her then-boyfriend and later husband, Sanjay, was possessive about it. She said, “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.”
Zarine gave up modelling at the age of 17. She and Abbas (Sanjay Khan’s real name) started living together in a rented flat, for which they had to pay Rs 400. However, they couldn’t afford it and had to sublet it to Balraj Sahani’s cousin at Rs 250. They only had a fan, which they shared between them. But that flat turned out to be lucky. She said, “Soon Abbas began signing films. He bagged Satyen Bose’s Dosti and Chetan Anand’s Haqeeqat in the early ’60s. Both were silver jubilees, and Abbas came to be known as the silver jubilee star.” They got married on April 16, 1966, and had three daughters and a son – Farah, Simone, Sussanne, and Zayed.
— Jose Puliampatta (Prof. Bala) (@JosePuliampatta) August 28, 2024
But their marriage wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. When Zarine Khan was pregnant with Zayed, rumors about Sanjay Khan having an affair with Zeenat Aman started to circulate. In the same interview, she admitted, “It came as a shock. I went through much emotional turmoil when I was carrying Zayed. But I had self-confidence. I’d wear six-inch heels in the ninth month of my pregnancy just to be stylish, just to keep up a brave front. I was heartbroken!” She further added how she gave an ultimatum to Sanjay and shared, “I threw a tantrum and gave him an ultimatum that I’d walk out. That’s when things returned to normalcy. Maybe it was just ‘a mad wind’ that blew over.”
Following this, their marriage returned to normalcy, although people and the media never stopped talking about Sanjay’s affair. She lived her life to the fullest and in the most stylish way.
