Farah Khan recollects IVF struggle while shooting Om Shanti Om; how husband Shirish Kunder supported her: ‘He bathed me’

Farah Khan reflected on her IVF journey, sharing difficulties like severe vomiting and daily injections while filming Om Shanti Om.

In a heartfelt revelation, Bollywood filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan opened up about her journey to motherhood through IVF. In a podcast with Sania Mirza on Serving It Up With Sania, Farah recalled how she was one of the first celebrities to talk openly about IVF, despite it being considered taboo at the time. She also spoke about the emotional highs and lows of her treatment and her husband Shirish Kunder’s unwavering support throughout the process.

Farah Khan talks about her IVF journey and her husband Shirish Kunder's support through it all.

Farah Khan on her IVF journey

Farah explained that while IVF was common, people rarely spoke about it as it was considered a taboo subject back then. The filmmaker shared that she was probably the first celebrity to openly discuss it, as it was completely legal for her. Since giving birth to her triplets, she said she has recommended egg freezing and IVF to many people.

Reflecting on her IVF journey, Farah recalled the challenges she faced and said, “With IVF, because I was carrying triplets, the vomiting was three times worse. I used to have stomach rashes and was constantly in the loo as each child was pressing on my bladder. I couldn’t sleep lying down; I had to sleep on a recliner. Then came the daily injections, either on my thigh or somewhere else. When it didn’t work the first two times, I cried in bed for two days. I was also shooting Om Shanti Om at the same time.”

She remembered how Shah Rukh Khan’s shooting break during Om Shanti Om turned out to be a blessing, saying,“During the shoot, there was a one-and-a-half-month break. Shah Rukh, every June–July, used to take a break and go to London with his children. That break came as a godsend for me. During that time, I had no work and could relax and undergo IVF. I was sure I would get pregnant as I had only four eggs left, and I was 42.”

Farah Khan on Shirish Kunder's support during pregnancy

Farah also opened up about her husband’s support during her IVF journey and pregnancy, adding, “I used to go every alternate day on a one-and-a-half-hour drive to the hospital, and there wasn’t a single day he didn’t come with me. Shirish looked after me even during the pregnancy — he bathed me, washed me, and cleaned me, doing all sorts of things a husband shouldn’t have to see. Even when the IVF failed, he was incredibly supportive. He said, ‘What will happen if we don’t have kids? It’s fine.’ But I knew how badly he wanted them. For him, the kids are his best friends; he spends the maximum time with them.”

Farah married film editor Shirish Kunder in 2004 after the two fell in love during the making of Main Hoon Na. The couple welcomed triplets, Diva, Anya, and Czar, in 2008. Farah rarely shares pictures with Shirish and their children, opting to keep her personal life private and out of the public eye.