New Delhi . The marriage of veteran Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi has always been a topic of discussion among the people. Both of them got married in the year 1969. Sharmila Tagore came from a Hindu family while Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi belonged to a Muslim family. After marriage, Sharmila adopted Islam and also taught Islam to her three children Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan. Now his daughter Saba Ali Khan has spoken openly about her family's religious upbringing.
During a conversation on Big Bollywood Buff's YouTube channel, Saba Ali Khan told that in her childhood, the atmosphere at home was related to Islamic traditions. He said that his mother Sharmila Tagore explained Islam to him and his siblings and informed them about religious traditions, including Ramadan. According to Saba, there was no temple for Hindu worship in her home and she did not follow Hindu religious traditions at home during her childhood.
Describing her faith, Saba said that when she thinks about God, the name of Allah comes to her mind. However, he also clarified that his approach towards his faith is no different from his respect for other religions. He said that following any one religion does not mean that a person should stop respecting other religions.
Saba said that her parents did not force her to adopt any religious identity. According to him, Sharmila Tagore introduced the children to Islam so that their religious understanding and foundation remained clear. Along with this, children also got the freedom to understand their faith and move forward in their own way.
Interestingly, even though Islamic traditions were followed in his house, festivals of other religions were also celebrated in the family. Saba told that she grew up celebrating festivals like Holi, Diwali and Christmas. According to him, his brother and sister married in different religions and there was room for different religious beliefs in the family. This is the reason why religious diversity has always been visible in his family.
It is also clear from Saba's statement that in her family, importance was given to personal faith regarding religion. He said that faith is a very personal matter and it should not be imposed on any person. According to him, his mother told him about Islam but later also gave him the freedom to choose his faith.
Sharmila Tagore had made a special mark in Hindi cinema during her film career. He worked in many successful films in the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, he met the then Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Both of them married in 1969. After this marriage, Sharmila Tagore adopted Islam and her family's religious upbringing also took place in the same background.
Today Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan are well-known names in the film industry while Saba Ali Khan keeps sharing her family and related memories on social media. Saba's latest statement once again shows how different religious and cultural traditions have merged in the Pataudi family.