Saba Pataudi recently appeared on a podcast, where she was asked whether remaining single had been her choice or a consequence of circumstances.
Speaking to She The People TV, Saba said, “I have not remained single by choice. I would have loved to have had a companion. Like I’ve quoted Taapsee before in an interview, when she said, ‘I need a man and not a boy’. I think maybe I met a lot of boys, and I also had a father who taught me how to be responsible and independent at a very early age.”
Saba is the daughter of actor Sharmila Tagore and the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
Shedding light on her father’s influence, she added, “I used to tell Abba, ‘You’ve taught me to be different. I am not adapting to somebody who doesn’t know what responsibility is.’ Men still haven’t completely accepted strong women. So, it is lonely, but it depends on how you define lonely. I’m a person who can be left alone and be very happy in my own space.”
She further explained that while she enjoys her independence, she has not given up on the possibility of finding a partner.
“I am a loner and can be alone, but I’m not lonely. I see a lot of my friends reinventing themselves and finding another relationship even at the age of 50. So there’s always a chance. But I will not compromise just for the sake of marriage. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” said Saba.
Saba also stressed the importance of friendship in a relationship. “I need to feel that I’m in a relationship because I’m respected and cared for, and that it’s mutual. But more than chemistry, I think there has to be a friendship. Having a trustworthy partner you can talk to and relate to is important.”
She concluded on a hopeful note, saying, “So, if I find that, I’m still game.”
Saba comes from one of Bollywood’s most celebrated families. Her elder brother, Saif Ali Khan, is married to actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, and the couple share two sons, Taimur and Jeh. Saif was previously married to Amrita Singh, with whom he has two children, actress Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan, before marrying Kareena Kapoor Khan in 2012.
Saba’s sister, Soha Ali Khan, is married to actor Kunal Kemmu, and they have a daughter, Inaaya Naumi Kemmu.