When the final rites for singer-actress Sulakshana Pandit were going on at Pawan Hans crematorium on the 7th, there was a whisper that at Sanjay Plaza, another family was waiting to bring Zarine Khan’s body to the same spot. With pallbearers chanting “Ram naam satya hai”, son Zayed carrying the traditional matka and a Hindu priest presiding over the rituals, Zarine’s cremation raised eyebrows with misinformation flooding social media.

Zarine Katrak was the glamorous Rexona girl of the 60s who fell in love with struggling actor Abbas Khan at age 14 and married him at 19. The actor had promised Zarine that one day, he would build her a Spanish-style hacienda. Sanjay Plaza, the luxuriously appointed white bungalow in Juhu, was that hacienda where life was a non-stop celebration.

Initially, her biological family had their reservations because of “cultural differences”. For the next six decades, the Parsi fashion model identified herself as a Muslim, trading her mini-skirts for churidar-kameez. In an interview for a book on communal harmony, Zarine had explained, “I made a lot of adjustments... It was taken for granted that I would become a Muslim, I totally took to the lifestyle of a Muslim woman.” Although Zarine was an accepted name in Islam, she briefly turned Mehjabeen for the nikah and wanted son Zayed to also have a nikah while her daughters remained Muslim after marrying men outside their faith.

Given this background, Zarine’s cremation with Hindu rites was bound to arouse curiosity. One friend disclosed that Zarine had specifically asked to be cremated because “She saw her soul as a free spirit. She didn’t want to be buried in a confined space underground.”

In recent times, many Parsis, including Ratan Tata, have opted out of their unique sky burial practice where birds like vultures feed on the body. Parsi priests have also begun to conduct last rites on cremation grounds. However, there are reasons why women like Zarine opt for a cremation. One, traditional priests are reluctant to conduct prayers for a woman who was married outside the community. Two, non-Parsis are not permitted at their final rites. For instance, late singer Pankaj Udhas’ wife Farida decided on a cremation long ago because, whenever she goes, she would want her family around her.

Zarine Khan was also surrounded by her family and friends.

Staunchly believing that Sai Baba was her “patron saint”, there was a story whirling around the time Sanjay Khan escaped death when the set of his TV serial The Sword Of Tipu Sultan caught fire. There was a rumour that Zarine had begun to believe in the power of Lord Hanuman after her husband made a miraculous recovery. Whatever the reason behind Zarine’s final rites, it serves as a reminder that celebrity lives are always under scrutiny. The Deols also realised it when Dharmendra, on the threshold of his 90th birthday, was hospitalised.

On a different note, here are a few quotes from an unpublished interview with the actor:

“Age does affect you, it’s bound to, I’m not as agile as I used to be. But the spirit is there... The dhai kilo ka haath will remain,” he laughed.

“I’m an extremist in some things. I used to drink heavily but ever since I gave it up, I haven’t touched it. When I was going to LA, I said, ‘Dharmendra, you’re not going to drink on the plane and you’re not going to drink again.’ Like my firm resolve to become an actor, why not resolve not to drink?”

On Calcutta, where he shot iconic films such as Mamta. “I like Calcutta very much. There used to be the Grand Hotel and I would visit every bar on Park Street.”

The best was on Hema Malini: “She’s a great lady. A Hema Malini will never be born again on this earth.”

Bharathi S. Pradhan is a senior journalist and an author