Bollywood actor Zayed Khan recently opened up about a traumatic chapter in his family's life involving father Sanjay Khan's fire accident and the financial crisis that followed. For those unversed, a major fire broke out on the set of Sanjay Khan's The Sword of Tipu Sultan in 1989. Due to the lack of firefighting equipment, 52 crew members had lost their lives. The 78-year-old actor-director suffered third-degree burns and had to undergo 74 surgeries.
In a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Zayed recalled how the incident had a lasting impact on the entire family as it took a heavy emotional and financial toll.
Describing the painful experience, Zayed said, "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."
Zayed Khan recalls financial crisis
The actor also revealed that the family was forced to mortgage their house and make drastic lifestyle changes to survive the crisis.
"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 never hold resentment against anybody. We bought better cars after that and got the house back," he added.
The actor further credited his mother for being the pillar of strength during the ordeal, calling her nothing short of 'God' in their lives.
Zayed is known for his roles in films like Main Hoon Na, Dus, and Shabd. He made his acting debut in 2003 with Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne and rose to fame with Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Amrita Rao, Suniel Shetty and Sushmita Sen.
Though his film career saw a mix of hits and misses, Zayed has remained in the public eye for his charm, family legacy, and appearances at industry events and shows.
Zayed was last seen in the film Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene which released in 2015.
