Born on October 4, 1978, Soha Ali Khan is the youngest daughter of Bollywood veteran Sharmila Tagore and late cricket legend Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, sister of actor Saif Ali Khan and sister-in-law of actress Kareena Kapoor Khan. Soha who has primarily acted in Bollywood films received a positive response for her portrayal in films like Rang De Basanti, Khoya Khoya Chand, Tum Mile and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns. Soha also made a name for herself when she came out with her book The Perils of Being Moderately Famous in 2017. (All pictures/Soha Ali Khan's Instagram account)
Soha Ali Khan attended The British School, New Delhi and studied modern history at Balliol College, Oxford and earned a Masters degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Though Soha Ali Khan's parents didn't particularly encourage her to take up acting, they never discouraged her from following her heart either.
Soha Ali Khan, in an interview, told mid-day, "My parents certainly felt my personality was not suited to acting in Hindi films and so I would be happier and better at doing something else. Also, they felt, like any parent, a little protective as there's a lot of competition, insecurity and unpredictability in the film industry."
In picture: Soha Ali Khan's childhood picture with brother Saif Ali Khan.
Soha Ali Khan's parents always wanted her to opt for something stable and so she decided to try her hand in the corporate space by taking up a job at a multinational bank as a private banker.
In picture: The lady in the centre is Soha and Saif's sister Saba Ali Khan. She is a jewellery designer.
"It was about making my parents proud and especially my father... I wanted to make him proud. I knew he wanted me to do something more in the corporate space. So I tried that but my heart was really not in it, which is why then I started working in films. It was a difficult choice but I knew my parents would embrace it wholeheartedly," said Soha Ali Khan.
In picture: The little girl in a white frock is Soha Ali Khan with her father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
Well, even though Soha Ali Khan was drawn to the acting world, there was always an emphasis on education in her family. Sharmila Tagore's mother had a masters degree, which was very rare at that time for a woman. Soha's mother Sharmila is related by birth to the renowned poet and scholar Rabindranath Tagore.
In picture: Soha with her mother Sharmila Tagore.
Education has always been prized in Soha's maternal as well as paternal family. There has also been a tradition in the Pataudi family of going to the Oxford University, her grandfather, father and so on. Soha wishes her daughter to go there. But she wouldn't put pressure.
Coming to her Bollywood journey, though many of the cine buffs think that Soha Ali Khan's Bollywood debut was opposite Shahid Kapoor in Dil Maange More, the actress actually made her silver screen debut with the Bengali film Iti Srikanta in 2004.
Though none of the film's worked wonders for Soha's career, her breakthrough came with the 2006 film Rang De Basanti which was directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and starred Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Siddharth and R Madhavan in lead roles. Her character was lauded by critics and fans as well.
In 2007, Soha's work in Khoya Khoya Chand was appreciated by fans and critics alike. She played a TV journalist in the memorable 2008's Mumbai Meri Jaan, which was based on the aftermath of July 11, 2006, Mumbai train blasts.
Soha Ali Khan's last outing in Bollywood was Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3 which also starred Sanjay Dutt, Chritrangda Singh, Mahie Gill, Jimmy Sheirgill. The film released on July 2018.
Soha Ali Khan married Bollywood actor Kunal Kemmu on January 25, 2015. Kunal popped the question to Soha in Paris and both tied the knot six months later. Well, the couple was in a live-in relationship before their marriage and were quite open about it.
Soha Ali Khan and husband Kunal Kemmu became proud parents to baby daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu on September 29, 2017. Asked how she's maintaining a balance between her professional and personal life, Soha told mid-day, 'Very badly, but I am trying. At the moment I am completely obsessed with Inaaya.' Soha crumbles when she is not with her daughter. 'The more time I spend with her, the more difficult it is to walk away and I know she is fine without me, and I'm the one who crumbles without her,' she added.
Talking about motherhood and how life has changed post it, Soha said, 'It is very true but I don't look after myself after becoming a mother. If you look at me in my house, I am not properly dressed and my hair is not done properly. Luckily, in my life, there are people like my husband, mother and in-laws who remind me to look after myself because if I fall sick, then it will have huge consequences on Inaaya so, it is very important to look after yourself and also important to be hygienic, clean and healthy which I have understood.'
She comes from a family of heavyweights: Her father, the late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi; her mother, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore; her brother, actor Saif Ali Khan; and Kareena Kapoor Khan is her sister-in-law. However, actress and former banker Soha Ali Khan, despite her lineage has striven for as "normal" a life as you and me.
We love the way you are Soha. Here's wishing you a very happy birthday! Keep inspiring the people around you!
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