Farah Khan opens up on her difficult IVF journey: 'Had only four eggs left...'

During a heartfelt conversation with tennis star Sania Mirza on the podcast Serving It Up With Sania, filmmaker and YouTuber Farah Khan opened up about one of the most intimate and difficult phases of her life—her experience with IVF. She reflected on how she was among the first well-known personalities to discuss in vitro fertilization openly at a time when the subject was still surrounded by stigma and silence. Farah spoke candidly about the emotional rollercoaster she went through, the physical toll of the treatment, and the unwavering support of her husband, Shirish Kunder, who stood by her every step of the way.

Recounting her journey, Farah described how the process was far from easy. Since she was carrying triplets, the side effects were intensified—severe nausea, painful stomach rashes, and countless sleepless nights. She shared that she could not even lie flat and often slept on a recliner to ease her discomfort. Frequent hospital visits and daily injections became part of her routine, and despite her optimism, the first two IVF attempts failed. Those failures left her emotionally drained; she remembered spending days crying in bed, all while managing her directorial responsibilities for Om Shanti Om.

She went on to recall how a pause in the film’s shooting schedule unexpectedly changed everything. Shah Rukh Khan, the film’s lead actor, used to take an annual family vacation to London during June and July, and that one-and-a-half-month break became a turning point for Farah. With no filming commitments, she could finally rest and focus entirely on her IVF treatment. At 42, with only a few viable eggs remaining, she decided to give the process another try, convinced that this would be her last chance—and, ultimately, her successful one.

Farah also shared how deeply touched she was by Shirish’s dedication during those trying times. Despite the long drives to the hospital every alternate day, he never left her side. Throughout her pregnancy, he took care of her with immense tenderness—bathing her, cleaning up after her, and ensuring she felt cared for at every moment. Even when IVF initially failed, he comforted her with calm acceptance, telling her that their happiness didn’t depend on children.

Yet Farah knew how much he longed to become a father. Their patience was finally rewarded in 2008 when they welcomed their triplets—Diva, Anya, and Czar—four years after their marriage in 2004.