Saif Ali Khan is the son of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, former captain of the Indian national cricket team, and Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore. The actor has a royal lineage as his grandfather Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi was the last ruler of the princely state of Pataudi during the British Raj. Following his death in 1952, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Saif’s father, inherited the privy purse, certain privileges, and the use of the title "Nawab of Pataudi." These were granted under terms agreed upon when princely states were integrated into independent India. In a 2020 interview with Curly Tales, the actor had shared that he was a prince for just one year. 


Saif said he was a prince for just one year


When asked how he likes simple homemade food despite being a nawab, the actor said, “Honestly I am not a nawab, I was a nawab for 1 year between 1970 and 1971. I was born a prince but in 1971, we changed that. But 1 year is better than nothing. I’m joking. But my grandmother loved food and Bhopal cuisine was really something. I remember in the old palace there used to be like caverns of kitchens. Like you’d go in there and there used to be one big bawarchi khaana, like they used to call it, and it would go on and on. It was quite scary like going in from one cave to another. There were people cooking for a couple of hundred people. This is a more regular fare of gajar-matar and bhindi. I like a healthy feeling of lunch. I hate feeling stuffed. I have always loved bhindi.” 


I don’t like that kind of rich food, maybe maximum some kebabs in the evening. But usually, its all kind of diet food, because it depends on the job. Some people live for food,” the actor added. 


Talking about the royal life portrayed in the films, the actor said, “That’s more Roman Emporer. Our kind of nawabs are more sporty and hardworking.” 


Why Saif was Nawab for just one year


The actor was born in 1970 and in 1971, the Indira Gandhi government abolished privy purses. These were annual payments made by the Indian government to the former rulers of princely states who had acceded to India during independence in 1947. 


Prior to independence, India was a patchwork of British-controlled territories and hundreds of princely states, each ruled by a Maharaja, Raja, or other hereditary monarch. These rulers enjoyed considerable autonomy, often maintaining their own armies and legal systems. 


Following independence, the newly formed Indian government negotiated agreements with the rulers of these princely states. The agreements, known as Instruments of Accession, saw the states merge with India, while the rulers retained some privileges, including tax-free incomes and recognition of their titles. These privileges were enshrined in the Indian Constitution through Articles 291 and 362. 


Abolishing privy purses


Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, known for her socialist and populist policies, championed the abolition of privy purses. In 1970, her government attempted to abolish the purses through an executive order. However, this was challenged in court and struck down. 


Gandhi's government then pushed for a constitutional amendment. The 26th Amendment, passed in 1971, abrogated Articles 291 and 362, effectively ending the system of privy purses and princely privileges.