Memories from a royal past

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Amma did not want to rebel. She was passionate about her ideas, but she would always give in to Abba’s wishes.” With her distinctive lineage — her father, the late Mansoor Ali Khan was the Nawab of Pataudi and an exemplary cricketer while mother Sharmila Tagore was among the most popular actresses on the silver screen during her heyday — anything that Soha Ali Khan says about her parents is bound to spark interest.

She gives us a sepia-tinged peek into her royal upbringing, when she talks about horse-riding and family guns and the Pataudi haveli in Bhopal — and contrasts it with her everyday life in a two-bedroom flat in Mumbai. “Now, even if I visit my folks at our Jaipur home, I have to behave in a certain way. I have to say khamhagani when I greet anyone. We still carry the culture that we imbibed during our childhood in our hearts,” Soha says.
The deep respect she had for her parents’ wishes meant that she didn’t immediately venture into films. “I took up a bank job just because dad did not want me to work in films,” Soha says. “But finally, I did convince him to let me pursue a career in Bollywood. I think all parents do come around in the end, because they want their children to be happy,” she adds.
And although the box office run of her films has been chequered at best, the petite actress says she has no regrets whatsoever. “I was solely responsible for choosing the films I worked on — whether or not they did well at the box office. They are my own mistakes, my own decisions. I do not dwell on those bad films, I look forward to a better future,” Soha says.
And does that future include a film with big brother Saif Ali Khan? “I would love to work with bhai,” Soha admits, adding, “If the project is not a marketing gimmick, and the role suits us, then why not?”
Displaying a flash of humour, Soha beats us to talking about the possibility of the Pataudi parivaar getting together for a project: “Now Kareena is part of the family too, so if any director writes a good script for us, then surely, we’ll all work together. Hum saath saath hain!”
Soha says in her filmi career, she does pay heed to mom Sharmila’s advice. “Amma always told me to work in accordance with the director’s wishes,” she says. “Sometimes she gives me style advice. Working with her on Life Goes On… was a great learning experience. She always says, ‘This is my last film.’ So I thought why not work with her if this was indeed her last film!”