Actor Saif Ali Khan has spoken about the conversations he has with his sons, saying he teaches them that there is “one god, and he has many names”, reflecting a spiritual outlook shaped by his own upbringing in an interfaith family.

Speaking at the London edition of the event We The Women, the 55-year-old actor said discussions about religion are a regular part of family life, even though he does not consider himself deeply religious.

Saif Shares His View On Religion

Recalling the values passed down by his mother, Sharmila Tagore, Saif said he has adopted a simple approach when discussing faith with his children, Taimur Ali Khan and Jehangir Ali Khan.

“It’s a conversation I love having with them. Because I myself am not the most religious of people. My mother taught me, and I taught my kids, that there’s one god and he has many names. It’s as simple as that. You worship him in different places. And if your religion talks about love and forgiveness to your fellow men, then that’s it,” he said.

Saif’s remarks draw from a family history shaped by interfaith relationships. He is the son of late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore. He was previously married to Amrita Singh and is now married to Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Memories Of A Diverse Upbringing

The actor said he spent much of his childhood around Christian institutions, attending schools where the day often began with chapel services.

Sharing a humorous memory, Saif recalled trying to avoid attending chapel by claiming he belonged to a different faith.

“Then they got a maulvi (Islamic scholar) to come and talk to us. That didn’t work,” he said with a laugh.

Despite his Muslim background, Saif said he grew up exposed to multiple religious traditions and celebrations.

“I’ve never really thought about it. It’s intuitive,” he said, adding that Christmas was celebrated in his household just as enthusiastically as Diwali.

Conversations With Taimur

Saif also spoke about a recent exchange with his son Taimur, whom he described as being nine years old.

The actor said he asked him, “What’s the difference between religion and methodology?”

According to Saif, Taimur replied: “In religion, we pray, and in methodology, we don’t.”

Calling it “a good answer”, Saif said such discussions frequently take place at home and reflect an openness towards different ideas and beliefs.

He added that both his mother and his wife share a broad-minded perspective on faith, describing it as “more of a spiritual approach”.

Family Has Spoken About Interfaith Marriages

Discussions around religion and interfaith relationships have surfaced publicly within the family before.

Last year, Saif’s sister, Soha Ali Khan, said she and her husband, Kunal Kemmu, faced criticism similar to that directed at Saif and Kareena over their interfaith marriage.

Speaking to journalist Nayandeep Rakshit, Soha said public reactions included references to “Love Jihad” and “Ghar Wapsi”, as well as comments such as, “You took one of ours, now we will take one of yours”.

Sharmila Tagore had earlier revealed during an appearance on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal that she converted to Islam and was renamed Ayesha before marrying Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

“It wasn’t easy, nor was it very difficult. It had to be faced and understood. You couldn’t be very flippant about it. Before that, I wasn’t terribly religious. Now, I think I know more about Hinduism and Islam,” she had said.

Kareena Kapoor Khan has also spoken publicly about her marriage, saying that excessive attention was often given to their interfaith relationship and age difference rather than the foundation of their partnership.

Upcoming Projects

On the professional front, Saif was recently seen in Kartavya.

He will next appear in Priyadarshan’s upcoming film Haiwaan alongside Akshay Kumar. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on September 11.

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