Director and choreographer Farah Khan made a surprising revelation during a recent visit to the actress Neelam Kothari and her actor husband Samir Soni’s Mumbai home, made for her popular YouTube food vlogs alongside the chef Dilip. As it turns out, the two entertainment industry veterans share a family connection that few people knew about.
Farah Khan reveals family connection ‘nobody knows’
Speaking during the visit, Farah Khan broke the news to viewers and said, “Let me tell everyone. Neelam and I are related. Nobody knows. We are cousins. But not by blood. Neelam’s mother’s sister is my aunt.”Neelam Kothari stepped in to clarify the exact nature of the connection, adding, “My aunt Mona is married to her uncle. Uncle Saroj.”
Farah Khan remembers teaching the Neelam dance in Hong Kong
The pair also took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, with Farah recalling how she was sent to teach Neelam to dance during the actress’ debut film, only for the lesson to backfire. Farah shared, “When Neelam first came to Hong Kong, my aunt sent me to teach her. I used to dance and breakdance. They sent me to teach her. I didn’t teach her anything. She taught me because I was doing jazz ballet.“Neelam fondly recalled the same memory, saying, “I remember you showing me the Michael Jackson steps. Moonwalk. All those Michael Jackson steps.”Farah Khan further revealed that years later, their professional paths crossed again when she went on to choreograph a song for Neelam in the film ‘Laat Saab’ alongside actor Jackie Shroff.
The love story of Neelam Kothari and Samir Soni
Beyond the family revelation, Neelam and Samir’s relationship has its own filmic story. Samir was previously married to model Rajlaxmi Khanvilkar, though the couple split just six months into their marriage. For Neelam too, this marked her second marriage, as she had earlier married industrialist Rishi Sethia in 2000, and the couple divorced within a few years, citing irreconcilable differences.It was also reported that Neelam was romantically linked with actor Bobby Deol at one point. After navigating their respective ups and downs in love, Neelam and Samir finally found their way back to each other.