Soha, so good

[Nokia]

Her lineage is impressive and her petite good looks speak of a promising screen presence. Soha Ali Khan, the daughter of dimpled beauty Sharmila Tagore and cricketing legend MAK Pataudi, is all set to make her silver screen debut. She shares her hopes for a bright future with Geety Sahgal

As per her mother’s instructions over the telephone, she’s telling her maid to fix the salad and switch on the mosquito repellent in the bedroom. It’s for the first time that Sharmila and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s daughter, Soha Ali Khan is living on her own and mum is worried.

A peaches and cream complexion, almond shaped eyes and a slim, petite figure. One look at Soha and you see the yesteryear actress staring at you. The foreign twang is the only difference.

The 20-something youngster is a history graduate from Oxford University, with a Masters in International Relations from the London School of Economics. And she has just quit her banking job at Citi bank to make her film debut with Ananth Mahadevan’s Dil Maange More , opposite Shahid Kapur. Explains Soha, “It was a conscious decision to take up acting after my college education and a corporate experience. Education was a priority. And a nine-to-five high profile job experience has disciplined me and made me a wiser person.”

If the Nawab of Pataudi didn’t appreciate his youngest daughter entering the film industry, then mother Sharmila was more difficult to convince. “They knew I was fond of acting as I participated in many school and college plays. However, I didn’t share with them the fact that I wanted to join films. When I finally told them, their first reaction was to ensure whether I was convinced about what I wanted to do. Then came parental concerns,” she remembers, adding, “Mum was concerned about the insecurities and stress that come with this job. Dad was being protective. I remember he was so taken aback when he came to drop me at Oxford and learnt that unlike his days, there were no restrictions on timings and students could come in when they liked! And now I was going to be on my own. He told me the importance of working with the right people, to be prepared to face the non-glamorous side of the profession and to always maintain my dignity.”

Unlike elder brother Saif, who was brought up in Nawabi style in Bhopal till he was 12, Soha and her sister Saba were brought up in Delhi. Soha was conscious of her celebrity parents, but life in the Khan bungalow at Delhi was like any other normal household. “At home, they were just dad and mum. But dad’s personality always commanded authority and I was always in awe of him. He didn’t have to shout at us when we were kids. One look and three words like ‘don’t do that’ were enough for my sister and me. Mom’s concern revolved around our eating our portions of green vegetables, fruits etc. Ensuring that I drank milk was a major task for her as I would always find ways of chucking it into the sink or out of the window,” Soha chuckles.

It was brother Saif (who, incidentally, is thrilled about her joining films) who she adored, and a visit from him was always looked forward to. “He is so much fun! Once he took me for a dance party and brought me home at 4am. Mum was sleeping in my bed waiting to know the time we got back and he got the brunt of it as I was too young to be out so late,” she laughs.

Though Soha has not had any formal training in acting, the extremely articulate and bright girl who hardly ever says or does things just for the heck of it, is confident about facing the camera. “Whether it is banking or acting, whatever I do is with a lot of dedication and focus,” she remarks the exuberant young woman who is easy going, loves meeting people and going out with friends for a good meal. “But like my dad, I am also a loner and often, I like to be left alone to read or pen down my thoughts,” she says.