Bollywood Superstar Saif Ali Khan has both acting and cricket in his blood as he is the son of legendary cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and iconic actress Sharmila Tagore. However, not just Saif's father but also his grandfather was a cricket player and just like Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi also played for India and infact both of them captained the Indian team as well.
From the 1960s to the 1970s, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi played for India, and his one good eye added to the specialness of his performance. An accident damaged his other eye. On the other hand, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi represented both India and England. Now that's a lot of rich cricketing heritage in Saif's blood despite which he opted for acting.
Why did Saif choose acting over cricket?
Saif revealed why he had decided to pursue a career in acting rather than cricket. He claimed that when he was younger, he lacked the mental concentration needed for a sport like cricket. Saif acknowledged that it did not sit well with him on a mental level, but he said that he loved acting and thought it was the appropriate career option.
"Cricket was in my blood. It was treated like a religion in my house. Not only my father, my grandfather has also played for the Indian team. Both of them also captained the team. My grandfather even played against the great batsman Don Bradman. I also played cricket but it is a very mental game. It requires patience and timing. I lacked this thing very much. That is why I could not play it much and my career in this game got ruined even before I could make it," said Saif Ali Khan.
However, not just Saif but also his sister Soha and daughter Sara went ahead and made a career in acting. As for his son Ibrahim Ali Khan has not made his debut in Bollywood yet and neither has he ever shown any interest in going big in cricket. Once Saif was also seen teaching his son Taimur about their family's rich heritage in cricket.