Zarine Sanjay Khan — Interior Designer
A Woman of Design, Grace, and Goodness.
January 19, 2026
Zarine Khan
—written by her daughter, Simone Arara, Creative Director, D’Décor Home
Timelessness over trend.
She designed interiors meant to age beautifully, spaces that gathered memories rather than followed seasons.
Some people pass through the world quietly, yet leave behind a resonance so profound that even those who never met them feel its pull. Zarine Khan was one such presence.
A renowned interior designer to the stars of Bollywood in her time, Zarine Khan was a respected and enduring figure within India’s design landscape. Over decades, she shaped some of Mumbai’s most elegant private spaces, earning the trust of discerning clients and the admiration of her peers. Her work was never about excess or fashion; it was about timelessness, warmth, and an intuitive understanding of how spaces should feel as much as how they should look.
She was married to Sanjay Khan, a leading actor and filmmaker of the Indian film industry in the 1970s. Together, they raised four children—Farah, Simone, Sussanne, and Zayed, all of whom went on to establish themselves independently, with two continuing her dialogue with design and interiors. She later became a devoted grandmother to nine grandchildren.
Beyond titles and roles, she embodied an elegance that had little to do with appearance and everything to do with conduct. Warm yet resolute, creative yet grounded, generous without expectation, she owned the rare gift of putting people at ease, regardless of who they were or where they came from.
She passed away on 7 November 2025, at the age of 81. Her departure was sudden and gentle, entirely in keeping with how she lived - without spectacle, without demands, without drawing attention to herself. She slipped away peacefully, leaving behind not silence, but an echo.
And when she left, the world responded.
What followed was unexpected and deeply moving. A prayer ceremony was held that was intimate in intention, yet extraordinary in scale. More than 2,000 people arrived. Friends, neighbours, acquaintances, and those who had simply crossed her path gathered not out of obligation, but affection. It became clear that Zarine Khan had been, in the truest sense, a celebrity of hearts and someone who made people feel seen, respected, and quietly important.
Her life resisted easy definition.
Born a Parsi, married as a Muslim, and cremated as a Hindu, she belonged above all to humanity. Labels held little meaning for her. Religion, status, and background were incidental; character was everything. In her eyes, people were never categories because they were simply people, equal and deserving of dignity.
What set Zarine Khan apart professionally was not only the body of work she left behind, but her devotion to her craft until the very end. Even at 81, she was actively working, deeply involved in every detail of her projects. At the time of her passing, she had just completed the design of an ambitious triplex penthouse in Worli, one of Mumbai’s most upscale and sought after neighbourhoods. The home was a month away from being set up; her vision fully realised, her creative labour complete.
It was, in every sense, her final labour of love.
The residence marked by warmth, timelessness, and richly layered elegance bore all the hallmarks of her design language. Every detail reflected her instinct for comfort and beauty, for spaces that felt lived in yet elevated. Her passing left a tangible void, not only in the hearts of those who loved her, but within the professional world she remained so deeply committed to. The Worli home now stands as a silent testament to her lifelong dialogue with space, light, and living - a reminder of a designer who never stopped creating.
One of her most enduring beliefs was one she lived by. She often said, “Value people more than things, for things can be replaced, relationships cannot”.
Forgiveness, too, was a daily practice. Her personal mantra was simple: let it go. She believed in releasing resentment, loving without keeping score, and choosing peace over ego. In doing so, she created a sense of emotional safety around her and an invisible grace that many still feel.
A day after her passing, Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck of Bhutan, who had never met Zarine Khan but knew of her through her daughter, sent a message expressing admiration for her strength, her grace, and the values she had passed on. To honour her spirit, the Queen asked 50,000 great Buddhist masters, gathered in Bhutan for world peace, to chant Zarine Khan’s name in their prayers.
It was a gesture that felt almost cosmic as though the universe itself had paused to acknowledge a life lived with quiet goodness.
Zarine Khan never sought recognition. Yet the love that poured in, the prayers that followed, and the reverence shown by those who never even met her all point to the same truth:
A life lived gently can still leave a powerful mark.
She may be gone from sight, but she remains, indelibly, in the hearts she touched.
Timelessness over trend.
She designed interiors meant to age beautifully, spaces that gathered memories rather than followed seasons.
Some people pass through the world quietly, yet leave behind a resonance so profound that even those who never met them feel its pull. Zarine Khan was one such presence.
A renowned interior designer to the stars of Bollywood in her time, Zarine Khan was a respected and enduring figure within India’s design landscape. Over decades, she shaped some of Mumbai’s most elegant private spaces, earning the trust of discerning clients and the admiration of her peers. Her work was never about excess or fashion; it was about timelessness, warmth, and an intuitive understanding of how spaces should feel as much as how they should look.
She was married to Sanjay Khan, a leading actor and filmmaker of the Indian film industry in the 1970s. Together, they raised four children—Farah, Simone, Sussanne, and Zayed, all of whom went on to establish themselves independently, with two continuing her dialogue with design and interiors. She later became a devoted grandmother to nine grandchildren.
Beyond titles and roles, she embodied an elegance that had little to do with appearance and everything to do with conduct. Warm yet resolute, creative yet grounded, generous without expectation, she owned the rare gift of putting people at ease, regardless of who they were or where they came from.
She passed away on 7 November 2025, at the age of 81. Her departure was sudden and gentle, entirely in keeping with how she lived - without spectacle, without demands, without drawing attention to herself. She slipped away peacefully, leaving behind not silence, but an echo.
And when she left, the world responded.
What followed was unexpected and deeply moving. A prayer ceremony was held that was intimate in intention, yet extraordinary in scale. More than 2,000 people arrived. Friends, neighbours, acquaintances, and those who had simply crossed her path gathered not out of obligation, but affection. It became clear that Zarine Khan had been, in the truest sense, a celebrity of hearts and someone who made people feel seen, respected, and quietly important.
Her life resisted easy definition.
Born a Parsi, married as a Muslim, and cremated as a Hindu, she belonged above all to humanity. Labels held little meaning for her. Religion, status, and background were incidental; character was everything. In her eyes, people were never categories because they were simply people, equal and deserving of dignity.
What set Zarine Khan apart professionally was not only the body of work she left behind, but her devotion to her craft until the very end. Even at 81, she was actively working, deeply involved in every detail of her projects. At the time of her passing, she had just completed the design of an ambitious triplex penthouse in Worli, one of Mumbai’s most upscale and sought after neighbourhoods. The home was a month away from being set up; her vision fully realised, her creative labour complete.
It was, in every sense, her final labour of love.
The residence marked by warmth, timelessness, and richly layered elegance bore all the hallmarks of her design language. Every detail reflected her instinct for comfort and beauty, for spaces that felt lived in yet elevated. Her passing left a tangible void, not only in the hearts of those who loved her, but within the professional world she remained so deeply committed to. The Worli home now stands as a silent testament to her lifelong dialogue with space, light, and living - a reminder of a designer who never stopped creating.
One of her most enduring beliefs was one she lived by. She often said, “Value people more than things, for things can be replaced, relationships cannot”.
Forgiveness, too, was a daily practice. Her personal mantra was simple: let it go. She believed in releasing resentment, loving without keeping score, and choosing peace over ego. In doing so, she created a sense of emotional safety around her and an invisible grace that many still feel.
A day after her passing, Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck of Bhutan, who had never met Zarine Khan but knew of her through her daughter, sent a message expressing admiration for her strength, her grace, and the values she had passed on. To honour her spirit, the Queen asked 50,000 great Buddhist masters, gathered in Bhutan for world peace, to chant Zarine Khan’s name in their prayers.
It was a gesture that felt almost cosmic as though the universe itself had paused to acknowledge a life lived with quiet goodness.
Zarine Khan never sought recognition. Yet the love that poured in, the prayers that followed, and the reverence shown by those who never even met her all point to the same truth:
A life lived gently can still leave a powerful mark.
She may be gone from sight, but she remains, indelibly, in the hearts she touched.
