Zayed Khan, known for his early 2000s breakout role in Main Hoon Na, recently opened up about financial discipline in the unpredictable world of Bollywood.
In an interview to Zoom, Zayed addressed speculation about his net worth being over Rs 1,500 crore and shared his approach to securing financial stability amidst the ups and downs of the film industry.
When asked if he had financial advice for aspiring actors, Zayed responded with a practical perspective. “If I tell you, you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of this before,” he said, adding, “There is a saying, ‘If you can afford a Ferrari, buy a Mercedes, and if you can afford a Mercedes, buy a Fiat’. We live in a time where social media pressures you to live a life you can’t afford. Some people are doing well, but 80% are not. They’re getting into debt, paying EMIs, and making bad decisions to fix bad decisions. It’s a rabbit hole.”
Zayed stressed the importance of living within one’s means. He explained, “Showing off isn’t about bling. It’s about courtesy in life. Do things that benefit you, that give you an edge. The numbers will follow. You don’t have to wear something new every day or be embarrassed about where you come from. Just be who you are.” He emphasized that trying to impress everyone is a path to failure, stating, “I don’t know the way to success, but the sure way to failure is to try to please everybody.”
He also touched on the societal pressures of maintaining a certain lifestyle, calling it “terrible, obscene, criminal.” His advice to young people was clear: “Grow a spine, have character. The world needs warriors, not parasites.”
Zayed, who has stayed out of the spotlight since his last release in 2015, denied that poor career choices were responsible for his absence. He also dismissed rumors that his father, Sanjay Khan, was disappointed with him over his professional decisions.