Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 1: Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan has urged social media users to respect her privacy after a video apparently showing her having a heated exchange with her longtime cook, Dilip Mukhiya, went viral online.
As the clip triggered speculation about their relationship, Farah asked viewers not to draw conclusions based on a brief interaction. Responding to the discussion on Instagram, she wrote, “Guys, please respect Dilip and my privacy. Do not jump to any conclusion,” accompanied by a folded-hands emoji.
In the video, Dilip is heard telling Farah, “I have told you so many times.” She responds, “Are you going to explain it to me?” The exchange ends when Farah notices that someone is recording them and asks the person to stop filming.
The video has brought renewed attention to the duo's relationship, which has become a familiar feature of Farah's cooking vlogs since 2024. Dilip first appeared in her Yakhni Pulao video in April that year. Their kitchen banter, playful arguments and Bollywood-style exchanges gradually turned him into a popular social media personality.
Farah has often joked about Dilip's cooking and acting, even pretending to fire him before bringing him back in a later episode. Their conversations about his salary, ambitions and growing popularity have also become regular features of the vlog, which has included celebrities such as Kajol, Ananya Panday and Vijay Varma.
Speaking to Soha Ali Khan on YouTube, Farah said Dilip had always been paid well but that his earnings and opportunities increased significantly after he joined her channel. She said she was now supporting his children's education, including sending them to an English-medium school and funding a culinary diploma course for one of his sons. She also revealed that it took about a year to help him overcome financial difficulties caused by substantial debt.
Dilip, 42, originally hails from Madhubani in Bihar. He left home at the age of 16 after his father gave him Rs 250 to travel to Delhi in search of work. He spent around Rs 50 on the journey and sent the remaining Rs 200 home. Initially earning Rs 300 a month as a domestic worker, he later bought two bullocks and a plough to help ease his father’s burden as a farmworker.
“The main point is that Biharis are hardworking and know how to earn,” Dilip told The Print.
After spending nearly a decade in Delhi, Dilip moved to Mumbai and joined Farah's household around 13 years ago. His growing online popularity has since opened up opportunities in advertisements for brands such as Myntra, Amazon, Urban Company and Flipkart. He has also attended YouTube FanFest and shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan.
Several celebrities have acknowledged his popularity, with Shruti Haasan calling him “the real star”. Actor Jackie Shroff also once playfully corrected himself after addressing him by the wrong name.
Farah's appeal for privacy comes as Dilip's journey from a domestic worker to a familiar online personality continues to attract public attention.