Bollywood Director Farah Khan Kunder
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Farah Khan Kunder is a Bollywood director, screenplay writer and one of the most famous choreographers in Bollywood. She has choreographed for more than a 100 Bollywood songs. Her directorial ventures include MAIN HOON NA (2004), OM SHANTI OM (2007) and the upcoming films TEES MAAR KHAN (2010) and HAPPY NEW YEAR (2011).
Name: Farah Khan
Born: 9th January, 1965
Occupation: Choreographer, Film Director
Years Active: 1992- Present
Spouse: Shirish Kunder (2004- Present)
Personal Life
Farah Khan was born to Kamran Khan and Menaka on 9th January 1965. Comedian and film director, Sajid Khan is her younger brother .Her father Kamran Khan was a stunt – filmmaker. Her mother Menaka is the cousin of actress Daisy Irani and screenwriter Honey Irani. Filmmaker and Actor Farhan Akhtar and his sister, film director Zoya Akthar are Farah’s cousins.
On 9th, December 2004, Farah married film director and editor Shirish Kunder. Shirish was the editor of Farah’s directorial debut MAIN HOON NA (2004). On 28th February 2008, Farah gave birth to triplets, two daughters Diva and Anya, and a son Czar.
Farah Khan is a believer of three religions Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Islam.
Career
As a Choreographer
Bollywood films
1990’s
Farah Khan had no formal training in dancing. Michael Jackson’s dancing in his music video ‘Thriller’, inspired her to dance. Soon she set up her own dance group called ‘Sphinx’. Her first time as a film choreographer was JO JEETA WAHI SIKANDER (1992). She got this first break by chance, when its original choreographer Saroj Khan walked out of the film. The song ‘Pehla Nasha’, starring Aamir Khan and Pooja Bedi became a rage. Since then Farah has choreographed for more than 80 films.
In 1992, Farah choreographed the film KABHI HAAN KABHI NAA. This is when she met Shah Rukh Khan, and they became the best of friends.
Other films in the 1990’s for which Farah was the choreographer include, super hit Bollywood movies like 1942: A LOVE STORY (1993), DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE (1995), VIRASAT (1997), BORDER (1997), DIL TO PAGAL HAI (1997), DIL SE (1998), KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI (1998) and SARFAROSH (1999) and the not so successful films like ANGAAR (1992), WAQT HAMARA HAI (1993), PEHLA NASHA (1993), CHANDRA MUKHI (1993), AATISH: FEEL THE FIRE (1994), ZAMANA DEEWANA (1995), HUM DONO (1995), OH DARLING! YEH HAI INDIA (1995), AAZMAYISH (1995), TAKKAR (1995), BARSAAT (1995), RAM SHASHTRA (1995), ENGLISH BABU DESI MEM (1996), YESHWANT (1997), KEEMAT: THEY ARE BACK (1998), DUPLICATE (1998), JAB PYAAR KISISE HOTA HAI (1998), ANGAARAY (1998), JHOOT BOLE KAUWA KAANTE (1998), SIRF TUM (1999), LAAWARIS (1999), SILSILA HAI PYAAR KA (1999), HOTE HOTE PYAAR HO GAYA (1999), BADSHAAH (1999) and MAST (1999).
2000’S – Present
Farah has choreographed for many super hit songs in 2000’s. Films for which she choreographed include super duper hits like KAHO NAA PYAR HAI (2000), JOSH (2000), DIL CHAHTA HAI (2001), KOI MIL GAYA (2003), KAL HO NAA HA (2003), MAIN HOON NA (2004), KRRISH (2005), DON -THE CHASE BEGINS (2006), OM SHANTI OM (2006), DOSTANA (2009) and MY NAME IS KHAN (2010).
Other films for which she was the choreographer include PUKAR (2000), HUM TO MOHABBAT KAREGA (2000), FIZA (2000), JOSH (2000), HAR DIL JO PYAAR KAREGA (2000), ASOKA (2001), ONE 2 KA 4 (2001), HUM TUMHARA HAIN SANAM (2002), MAINE DIL TUJHKO DIYA (2002), SHAKTI: THE POWER (2002) , KYA YEHI PYAAR HAI (2002) , TUMKO NA BHOOL PAYENGE (2002) , YEH DIL AASHIQANAA (2002), KOI MERE DIL SE POOCHE (2002), CONFIDENCE (2003), ARMAAN(2003), SUPARI(2003), WONDERLAND(2003), CHALTE CHALTE (2003), MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGE (2004), KAAL (2005), PAHELI (2005), BLUFFMASTER (2005), MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA (2005), YUN HOTA TOH KYA HOTA (2006), KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA (2006), BAABUL (2006), JAAN-E -MAN (2006), ZINDAGGI ROCKS (2006), HEYY BABYY (2006), MY NAME IS ANTHONY GONSALVES (2007), WELCOME (2007), BILLU (2009), MAIN AUR MRS KHANNA (2009), and BLUE (2009).
Awards
Farah Khan has won the Filmfare Award for Best Choreographer five times, in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2004.Farah Khan has won the Filmfare Award for Best Choreographer five times, in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2004. In 1998, she won the award for VIRASAT (1997). In 1999, she won the award for DIL SE. In 2001, she won the award for KAHO NAA PYAAR HAI. In 2002, she won the award for DIL CHAHTA HAI. In 2004, she won the award for KOI MIL GAYA.
In 2004, she also won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for the song ‘Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala’, from KOI MIL GAYA (2003).
Tamil Films
Farah Khan has done the choreography for Tamil films like MINSARA KANAVU (1997), ALAI PAYUTHEY (2000), KANDUKODAIN KANDUKODAIN (2000) and IRUVAR (1997).
International Projects (Films and Broadway Musicals)
Farah has choreographed for international films like Mira Nair’s MONSOON WEDDING (2001) and VANITY FAIR (2004), Salman Khan starter, MARIGOLD- AN ADVENTURE IN INDIA (2007), and a Chinese film PERHAPS LOVE (2005).
She has also worked as a choreographer for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bollywood-themed Broadway musical ‘BOMBAY DREAMS’. She was nominated for Broadway’s Tony Awards as Best Choreographer, along with collaborator Anthony Van Laast, for ‘BOMBAY DREAMS’.
Other international projects
Farah Khan choreographed Shakira’s performance of the Bollywood version of ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ August 2006. for the MTV Video Music Awards held in New York on 31
She choreographed Kylie Minogue for the song ‘Chiggy Wiggy’, from the Bollywood movie BLUE (2009).
As a Host and Judge on TV shows
Farah Khan hosted a celebrity chat show ‘ Tere Mere Beach Mein’, which was aired on STAR Plus.
She was also the judge on TV shows like ‘Indian Idol – Season 1 and Season 2’, ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar’, ‘Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega’, and ‘Dance India Dance Li’l Masters’.
