Soha Ali Khan Shares Rare Childhood Photos of Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi with Jawaharlal Nehru

Actor Soha Ali Khan shared rare childhood photographs of her parents, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, alongside India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to mark Children's Day.

Family Albums

Posting three monochrome pictures on Instagram, Soha highlighted images of her mother pinning an item onto Nehru's coat, standing next to him at the All India Radio, and her father sitting beside him at an unknown event. In her caption, she noted that her parents were children before becoming parents and praised Nehru for believing that children are the nation's future. She explained that Nehru chose to celebrate the youth on his birthday rather than himself to give every child a chance to dream big.

Parental History

Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi met at an after-match party in 1965 and dated for about four years before marrying in 1968. During their courtship, Pataudi wooed her with roses and air conditioners, and the couple even lived together beforehand. Director Yash Chopra had once warned Sharmila to be careful because Nawabs were viewed as doubtful people. Sharmila converted to Islam for the marriage, and the couple welcomed three children: Saif Ali Khan in 1970, Saba in 1976, and Soha in 1978. Pataudi passed away at the age of 70 in 2011.

Context

Children's Day is observed annually across India on November 14 to honor Jawaharlal Nehru and his fondness for children. Public figures frequently use social media archives on national commemorative days to share personal history and connect family milestones with historical figures.