Not because it is an easy alliteration but a word that’s truly synonymous with Farah Khan is ‘fabulous’. She is always fabulous. Humorous, candid, relatable and relevant... that’s Farah Khan on-screen, off-screen or in person. Whether sharing her signature recipes on social media with fans, wrapping up a multi-starrer in Bollywood or creating memorable hook steps as a choreographer, she makes it all look like a cakewalk with an uncanny sense of simplicity and a pinch of effortless humour. On the sidelines of her recent visit to Calcutta for a FICCI FLO event, t2 caught up with Farah in a tete-a-tete on food, style, films and more.
Apart from all your identities, we know you as the foodie Farah Khan. What do you look forward to tasting when you come to Calcutta?
Long ago I had come here and someone took me to Chinatown. It is a hole-in-the-wall place but it had great Chinese food. Also, Flurys on Park Street and Nizam’s in New Market are the places I have explored before but I am happy to explore new places. I would love to take back home some Calcutta mishti doi… I love it.
Much before power dressing was a thing, your fashion statement has always been about power dressing….
I don’t know about power dressing, but even in college, since we had no money, I used to wear my father’s shirts with my jeans. For my prom, I had dressed up as Michael Jackson! I got the jacket from some fashion street for some 30-40 bucks…I don’t dress up very girly. Also, the girly outfits are not very conducive to work. I have dressed up girly also but not at work. At my age, I just want to be comfortable. If I am fussing about what is showing then I can’t work. I like age-appropriate clothes. For me, style is comfort over fashion. Also, I don’t like body-hugging clothes because I am constantly eating something or the other (laughs).
Vibrant colours are something we have spotted in your wardrobe over the decades. Do you think it helps you to channel your personality better?
I think my skin tone also is conducive to vibrant colours. If I wear pale colours, I tend to look washed out. Also, when one is overweight, one usually likes to wear black as it makes one look slim. But now I have got a new stylist, Ken Ferns. For Jhalak (Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa), we were experimenting with the looks with some colours and silhouettes. But I also have a lot of no-nos. I don’t wear sleeveless, I don’t wear strappy because I have to be myself.
Have you ever had a fashion faux-pas period?
I think if you ask Karan Johar, he will say I am a fashion faux pas! He calls my lunches the Met Gala of Lokhandwala! (Laughs) I have had many fashion faux pas. I like to make my heroines look great in my movies. I have an eye for what will look great on them. And, of course, all these women have great bodies, they look great in what they wear. I need to dress according to my body type. Once I remember I was wearing a frock. I was not going anywhere just crossing a church to say a prayer and some paps clicked me and I was featured somewhere and Karan had sent me the picture. I was looking like a pregnant woman and his caption read: ‘Praying for a new outfit?’ For him, everything I do is bad. But if I dress well, he will say: ‘Oh, you have dressed well today, how do I make fun of you’! But I enjoy that banter. Sometimes I dress badly so that I can get that attention!
Who do you go to in your ‘Bolly friends’ circle for style tips?
I don’t really go for style tips but I admire many people’s styles. I think Sonam (Kapoor) is very stylish. Even if she is lounging at home and I have gone for an impromptu lunch or something, there also she looks like she is always ready for a photoshoot. I think inherently she has great taste and style. I don’t like overdressed people. I like event-appropriate clothing. If you are going to the airport, I find it ridiculous to wear stiletto heels and tight-fitting outfits…I mean who wears that at an airport? I think Deepika wears really comfortable clothes. Most of them are great now. Malaika has a great body, so she always dresses great.
Is there any actor from the Bengali film industry that you would like to work with?
I have actually only worked with Prosenjit (Chatterjee). Long ago I did a Bengali movie. I lived here for three months while we were shooting it. It was almost 30 years ago. It was called Ek Poshla Brishti. So, he is the only one that I have actually really worked with. I have seen him in Jubilee. He is a fine actor and he is just improving with age.
What keeps Farah Khan so calm despite being multi-hyphenated?
Calm?! When I am at work I am not cool, I think I am just hyper-energetic. There is a certain energy in the way I work. After so many years of working and experience and a career in Bollywood, I think everything is very transitory. So, there’s no need to be hyper about anything. I don’t sweat over the small stuff. I may get angry and say that they are not efficient but it doesn’t become my problem for the day. For me, I wake up in the morning and decide how my day is going to be — a good day or a bad day.
Mom, mentor or friend Farah Khan or filmmaker Farah Khan — which role is closer to your heart?
When I am with my kids, I enjoy being with them. At work, I thoroughly enjoy it as all my creative juices come out then. I am in my element. When I am just in bed with my dog taking a nap or just chatting with my girls or gossiping… I enjoy that also. The only thing I don’t enjoy is getting ready and taking pictures, self-shot videos for others and getting ready for interviews and getting ready after seven in the evening to go anywhere.
You came to the city for a FICCI event. How important is it for women to support women?
We always say that women are women’s worst enemies. This should be put to rest now. If you support and mentor somebody, it doesn’t mean that your chair is becoming less. Women always think that I have only this much, if I give away this much what will I have but that is not what happens. People in the same field need to be supportive of each other but it rarely happens. If you are secure in your own work, you know that if you support someone, your work is not going to become less. And I think a woman’s brother, father and husband also need to support her even more... however much we talk of feminism. Because even now it is their saying that decides the fate of women.