Saif Ali Khan: The new nawab of Pataudi
The Indian actor took a break from shooting to reach the Pagdi ceremony anointing him as the new nawab of Pataudi.
Indian actor Saif Ali Khan took a break from the filming of Agent Vinod to reach the Pagdi ceremony anointing him as the new nawab of Pataudi, reports news agency IANS.
While the event was a personal affair, according to the Times of India, by the end of the day some 50, 000 villagers were present at the palace to wish the nawab. Heads of various villages of the area tied a white turban (pagri) around his head to make him the new nawab. His mother Sharmila Tagore and sisters Saba Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan were also present.
The actor, who has been appointed the 10th Nawab of Pataudi, was dignified and solemn during the ceremony and said he was honoured by this tribute and hopes to carry his late father Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s legacy forward in a responsible manner. “I’m overwhelmed with the kindness and simplicity the village heads have shown me and my family, and the respect to my late father. This is a huge responsibility for me, to take my father’s legacy forward in whatever way I can. It is a deeply personal part of my life and I will do my best to honour my father’s memory. Princely titles no longer exist, but family values and tradition do. I shall be conscious of this always and do the best I can for Pataudi,” reported Times of India.
The 41-year-old’s father, popularly known as Tiger Pataudi, passed away Sep 22 in New Delhi’s Sir Gangaram Hospital after battling a severe lung infection.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2011.