But don't expect her mornings to begin with reciting Gitanjali!

We all know Soha Ali Khan comes from a family full of achievers. Her father, the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, was a cricketing legend, while her mother, Sharmila Tagore, is one of the most loved actresses of Indian cinema. However, what not everyone knows is that the “Tagore” in Sharmila’s name isn’t just for show. She is actually related to Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel Prize-winning poet who made Indian literature known across the world. That makes Soha Ali Khan not only Bollywood royalty but also connected to one of India’s most admired writers. On her birthday, as fans celebrate her journey in films and beyond, let’s find out how she shares her roots with the man behind Gitanjali.

How she is related to Rabindranath Tagore

The Tagore link, as already mentioned, comes through her mother, actress Sharmila Tagore. Sharmila’s paternal grandfather, Gaganendranath Tagore, was a noted painter and caricaturist and a nephew of Rabindranath. On her maternal side too, the family tree winds back to Dwijendranath Tagore, Rabindranath’s elder brother.

That makes Sharmila, and by extension Soha, a direct descendant of the broader Tagore family that produced not only Rabindranath but many thinkers, artists, and reformers.

Here’s the simple trail:

Rabindranath Tagore

- Brother: Dwijendranath Tagore - descendants, including Sharmila’s maternal line

- Nephew: Gaganendranath Tagore - Gitindranath - Sharmila Tagore - Soha Ali Khan

So while “great-grandniece” is often the shorthand used for Sharmila, the truer picture is that she belongs to multiple branches of the Tagore household. And that makes Soha part of this remarkable artistic lineage.

Family background in quick strokes

If her maternal side is about literature and art, her father’s is about cricket and royalty. Soha is the daughter of Sharmila Tagore, one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated actors, and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, India’s youngest Test cricket captain and the Nawab of Pataudi. Her brother Saif Ali Khan is a star in his own right, while her sister Saba Ali Khan is a jewellery designer. 

Soha Ali Khan shares pics of mom Sharmila Tagore bonding with daughter Inaaya, says 'time with grandparents is so precious'https://t.co/vWmy64so04 pic.twitter.com/SLD939flpT

— QuipQuest (@QuipyQuest) June 14, 2023

(Credit: QuipQuest)

Soha’s journey in film and beyond

Armed with degrees from Oxford and the London School of Economics, Soha could have built a life outside the movies. But the pull of cinema obviously proved strong. She debuted in 2004 with Dil Maange More, a frothy rom-com that didn’t quite set the box office on fire but convinced everyone about her capabilities. 

Two years later, Rang De Basanti changed everything. Playing Sonia, the fiancée of a fighter pilot, Soha stood out in an ensemble that included Aamir Khan and R. Madhavan. The film went on to become both a commercial success and a cultural milestone, and Soha’s performance earned her recognition.

She followed it with films like Ahista Ahista (2006), Khoya Khoya Chand (2007), and the Bengali film Antarmahal, the latter being directed by Rituparno Ghosh.

In 2017, she shifted gears and published a memoir with a tongue-in-cheek title - The Perils of Being Moderately Famous. The book, full of anecdotes about growing up between the worlds of cricket, cinema, and royalty, won the Crossword Book Award. As she once shared in an interview with the Hindustan Times, “I wanted to show that you don’t have to be larger than life to have stories worth telling.” 

Personal life & public persona

Soha married actor Kunal Khemu in 2015, and the two are parents to daughter Inaaya Naumi Khemu. Parenthood, she has said, helped her embrace a more reflective rhythm of life. “It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing enough,” she told The Indian Express in 2021.

Away from the arc lights, she writes, reads, and appears at literary events. She has also dabbled in children’s literature and supports causes around education and heritage. Compared to her more flamboyant family members, Soha has carved out an image of understated grace.

Happy Birthday!