Saif Ali Khan (pronounced [ˈsɛːf əˈli ˈxaːn]; born Sajid Ali Khan[2] August 16, 1970) is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the cricket player and last titular Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan, and actress Sharmila Tagore, a great-grandnephew of poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Having made his acting debut in 1992 with Yash Chopra's Parampara, Khan had his first success with the 1994 films Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Yeh Dillagi. After going through several years of decline throughout the 1990s, he rose into prominence with his performance in Farhan Akhtar's Dil Chahta Hai (2001), which marked his professional turning point.[3] His work in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, and he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Hum Tum (2004).
Khan subsequently had further mainstream success with films like Salaam Namaste (2005) and Race (2008) and starred in critically acclaimed projects such as Parineeta (2005), Being Cyrus and Omkara (2006).[4] In 2009, Khan branched out into film production with his company Illuminati Films' first film Love Aaj Kal, which became a box-office success. These accomplishments have established him as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema.[5] He was awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India in 2010.[6] Khan was married to actress Amrita Singh from 1991 to 2004, having two children together. In 2012, he married actress Kareena Kapoor on Oct 16, 2012 after a five-year relationship.[7][8]
Early life and background
Saif Ali Khan is of Muslim, Afghan ancestry through the Nawabs of Pataudi lineage from his father's side and of Bengali Tagore ancestry from his mother's side.[9] His paternal grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, was the Nawab of Pataudi as well as an accomplished cricketer who played for England and then for India as the captain of the team.[9] His paternal grandmother was Sajida Sultan, Begum of Bhopal and his great-uncle was Pakistani general Sher Ali Khan Pataudi. His father was Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a former captain of the Indian cricket team and the ninth Nawab of Pataudi until the abolition of titles by India in 1971.[9] Following the death of his father in 2011, Saif Ali Khan was proclaimed the Nawab of Pataudi by the villagers of Pataudi State in deference to tradition, although the title carries no official or legal significance.[10]
Khan has two sisters, Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan.[11] Khan's mother is Sharmila Tagore, a film actress and a member of Bengal's Tagore family. She is the head of the Indian film censorship board[12] and the grand-niece of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.[13]
Khan initially studied at the Lawrence School, Sanawar[14] and later attended Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire. He then followed in his father's
footsteps by attending Winchester College, an independent school for boys in the UK. Khan can speak his native languages of Urdu/Hindi and Bengali fluently, as well as English.[15]
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