Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan is the eleventh Nawab of the Pataudi family. The actor, along with his two sisters Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan, from a royal background.

Saif Ali Khan was named the 10th Nawab of Pataudi in 2011. During a Pagdi ceremony, the actor was designated as the Nawab, and heads from 52 villages put a white turban over his head. Saif was hesitant to be anointed, but he consented to honor the feelings of the residents in the district. The title of Nawab is no longer recognized by the Indian government. His father held the title until his death from a persistent lung ailment. His sisters Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan attended the ceremony, as did his mother, Sharmila Tagore.

Saif Ali Khan’s Royal Ancestry

Saif belongs to the Pataudi family. The Pataudi family name is derived from the old princely state of Pataudi. The first Nawab in Saif’s dynasty was Faiz Talab Khan, who was granted the state in 1804. The 26th Amendment to the Indian Constitution abolished royal entitlements. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi was the last monarch of Pataudi and Saif’s grandfather. He was a cricketer who played for both the Indian and the English cricket teams. Saif’s father also played cricket for the Indian squad. He captained the cricket team at the age of 21, setting a world record as the youngest Indian cricket captain until 2004.

The ancestral Pataudi Palace

Saif Ali Khan’s ancestral home, Pataudi Palace is also known as ‘Ibrahim Kothi’. The estate spans across 10 acres and holds over 150 rooms including seven dressing rooms, bedrooms, billiard rooms and also includes luxurious drawing and dining rooms. The palace is designed in the style of colonial mansions by Robert Tor Russell. The palace currently belongs to the Nawab family after serving as part of the Neemrana chain of hotels from 2005 to 2014. The exquisite palace has been a shoot location for various films like Eat Pray Love, Mangal Pandey, Veer-Zaara, Lagaan and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.