Actor Sharmila Tagore had an interfaith marriage with former cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and went on to have three children. Recently, their daughter Saba Pataudi has opened up about her upbringing and revealed that while her mother converted to Islam after marriage and introduced her children to the faith, she never imposed any particular belief system on them.
She added that faith is very personal and not something one can impose on anyone. "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. I was very connected to my faith. My siblings are in interfaith marriages; I don’t think anybody is following anything very strictly. We’ve grown up celebrating Christmas, Diwali, Holi, everything."
Veteran actor Sharmila's marriage to former Indian cricket captain and Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan, was one of the most high-profile marriages of its time. After a four-year courtship, the two tied the knot in December 1969. Their relationship attracted considerable attention as Sharmila came from a Bengali Hindu family, while Mansoor belonged to a prominent Muslim royal family.
The marriage was not without opposition. Sharmila has revealed that her family received threatening telegrams before the wedding, while Mansoor's family was also concerned. Despite the pressure, the couple went ahead with their relationship. In a 2026 interaction with Barkha Dutt, Sharmila also revealed that they had lived together before getting married because it was more convenient, something that was unconventional for the time. Sharmila and Mansoor remained married for 42 years, until his death in September 2011. They had three children—Saif Ali Khan, Saba Pataudi and Soha Ali Khan.
Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting viral pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical release or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments.Read More
