Soha Ali Khan recalls growing up with Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi as a stay-at-home dad: ‘He used to tell everybody he was a prince’

Stay-at-home dads may still be a taboo in many households, but for Soha Ali Khan, it was part of everyday life. The actor recently reflected on how her father, legendary cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, took on the role of primary caregiver when she was young.

“As kids, it was completely normal for me because you don’t compare your childhood with other children,” she told Hauterrfly.Soha revealed that when she was born, Pataudi did not have an income and embraced his unique position at home with humour. “He used to tell everybody he was a prince,” she laughed.

When Sharmila was away, Tiger stayed home

The actor recalled how her father would remain with the children while her mother, Sharmila Tagore, travelled for work. She shared an instance when Sharmila flew abroad for three months to shoot Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala with Denzel Washington, during which time Pataudi was at home managing family life.

For Soha, there was never any stigma attached to her father’s choice because of who he was. “He was a legendary cricketer, even lost an eye playing, he contributed a lot to this country, put it on the map,” she said, adding that his decision to spend his later years as a stay-at-home dad was simply another chapter in his remarkable life.Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, married actress Sharmila Tagore on December 27, 1968. The couple had three children—actor Saif Ali Khan, jewellery designer Saba Ali Khan, and actress Soha Ali Khan. Their marriage lasted over four decades until Pataudi’s passing in September 2011 at the age of 70.