Amma did convert: Saba Pataudi on mother Sharmila Tagore, Islamic upbringing

Saif Ali Khan’s sister, Saba Pataudi, has opened up about being raised in Islam and said their mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, converted to Islam after marrying Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Recalling her upbringing, Saba said Sharmila guided her children in the faith so they would have “some sort of grounding”, adding, “So there was no temple, there was no Hindu religion that we practised.”

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In the same conversation, Saba said faith was never imposed on her or her siblings. She said the family grew up celebrating festivals like Christmas, Diwali and Holi. She added that with Saif and Soha Ali Khan both had interfaith marriages so "nobody in the family was following anything very strictly”.

In a chat with the YouTube channel Big Bollywood Buffs, Saba said, “For me, I would say my religion is Islam, and I do connect with it. And I’m spiritual because, if I were to think of a God, I would probably say Allah. That doesn’t mean that I don’t respect other religions, of course not.”

She added, “When Amma (mother) and Abba (father) got married, Amma, in fact, did convert to Islam and did guide us in Islam, perhaps so that we wouldn’t be confused and would have some sort of grounding. So there was no temple, there was no Hindu religion that we practised.”

Saba said Sharmila Tagore was the one who introduced her to the religion. “In fact, she taught me my faith and gave me an understanding of Islam, Ramzan and things like that. And then it was our choice what we wanted to follow,” she said, stressing that her parents never forced any religion on their children.

She also spoke about how religion is approached in the family now. “My siblings are in interfaith marriages; I don’t think anybody is following anything very strictly. But I think faith is something that’s very personal. It’s not something that anybody can impose on anyone. It’s your choice what you turn to,” she said.

Saba added, “We’ve grown up celebrating Christmas, Diwali, Holi, everything. My parents, I think, have never imposed any particular religion. And I think that’s fair. I think that’s also something every parent should do with their child.”

Saif Ali Khan on religion at home

Saba’s remarks come after Saif spoke about discussing religion with his sons, Taimur and Jehangir.

Speaking at We The Women’s London edition, Saif said, “It’s a conversation I love having with them. Because I myself am not the most religious of people. My mother taught me, and I taught my kids, that there’s one god and he has many names. It’s as simple as that. You worship him in different places. And if your religion talks about love and forgiveness to your fellow men, then that’s it.”

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Saif also recalled growing up around Christian institutions and spending time in churches and in schools that began the day with chapel. Sharing an anecdote with a laugh, he said he once tried to bunk chapel by saying he belonged to a different religion, but “then they got a maulvi (Islamic scholar) to come and talk to us. That didn’t work”.

He said his upbringing also included prayers from other faiths and that Christmas was celebrated as much as Diwali. “I’ve never really thought about it. It’s intuitive,” he said. Saif also shared a recent exchange with Taimur. He said he asked his nine-year-old son, “What’s the difference between religion and methodology?” Taimur replied, “In religion, we pray, and in methodology, we don’t.” Saif called it “a good answer” and said, “So, we’re constantly talking about these things.” He added that his mother had an open mind about religion, and so does his wife, calling it “more of a spiritual approach”.

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History of interfaith marriages

Saif was born to late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, who had an interfaith marriage. He later had two interfaith marriages himself, first with actor Amrita Singh, whom he divorced in 2004, and later with actor Kareena Kapoor, whom he married in 2012.

Last year, Saif’s younger sister Soha Ali Khan said she and her husband, actor Kunal Kemmu, faced the same kind of criticism over their interfaith marriage as Saif and Kareena Kapoor did. Speaking to podcaster Nayandeep Rakshit, she said there were “lots of strange things” and pointed to headlines around “Love Jihad” and “Ghar Wapsi”, along with remarks such as, “You took one of ours, now we will take one of yours.”

Sharmila Tagore had earlier said on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal that she converted to Islam and was rechristened Ayesha before marrying Mansoor Ali Khan. “It wasn’t easy, nor was it very difficult. It had to be faced and understood. You couldn’t be very flippant about it. Before that, I wasn’t terribly religious. Now, I think I know more about Hinduism and Islam,” she had said.

Kareena Kapoor Khan had also spoken about her marriage to Saif at The Express Adda three years ago. She said too much time and energy was spent discussing interfaith relationships and the age gap between them, while adding, “The most important thing between Saif and I is that we like each other and enjoy our company.”

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About Saba Pataudi and Saif’s work front

Saba Pataudi was born on May 1, 1976, and is 50 years old. Unlike her actor mother and siblings, she did not become an actor. She is a jewellery designer. According to her Instagram bio, she is also a tarot reader and spiritual healer. She is also the Chief Custodian of the Royal Endowment Trust, Bhopal.

On the work front, Saif will next star in Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan alongside Akshay Kumar. The film is set to release in theatres on September 11.

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