Daisy Irani, Child Actor Of The 50s And Farhan Akhtar’s Aunt, Says She Was Raped

Daisy Irani, a popular child actor from the 1950s, who is also the maternal aunt of Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, as well as directors Sajid and Farah Khan, recently revealed that she was raped as a child by her supposed guardian.

The veteran actor revealed it all in an interview with Mumbai Mirror. She was 6 years old when this happened. She said, “The man who did this was supposed to be my guardian. He accompanied me to a film shoot (Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke) in Madras. One night in the hotel room he violated me, hit me with a belt and warned me that he would kill me if I ever told anyone about what had happened.” It took actress well over 60 years to finally come out with the truth.

Recounting the incident from her childhood without a trace of self-pity, she continues, “That man is dead and gone. His name was Nazar, he was related to the famous singer Zohrabai Ambalewaali. Obviously, he had contacts in the film industry. My mother was hell-bent on making me a star. I made my debut in the Marathi movie, Baby. So Uncle Nazar had accompanied me to the shoot of Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke in Madras. I can recall the incident only in flashes, but I do remember the killing pain, and the visual of him beating me. The next morning, I was back at the studio as if nothing had happened. For years, I couldn’t dare to tell my mother about what he had done.”

Irani explains that her reason to finally come out with this story is because of the large number of children working via films, TV and talent shows. She wishes to leave a cautionary tale for parents to keep their child safe.

She says, “Child actors have it tough. In a majority of cases, they have been taken advantage of. Maybe a few have had it easy, but most don’t, really.”

Daisy Irani, who still continues acting in supporting roles, was last seen in Shah Rukh Khan’s Happy New Year in 2014.