Soha Ali Khan wants daughter Inaaya to have a tough skin to deal with the world

Bollywood actor Soha Ali Khan has often been identified as the daughter of Sharmila Tagore, or the sister of Saif Ali Khan, or the sister-in-law of Kareena Kapoor Khan. She says that if her daughter grows up to be even anonymous, it wouldn’t matter.

New Delhi

Bollywood actor Soha Ali Khan in Delhi during the launch of her book, The Perils of Being Moderately Famous. (Waseem Gashroo/HT Photo)

Soha Ali Khan has a great sense of humour — a fact evident in the title of her recently released memoir, The Perils of Being Moderately Famous. Though an A-list Bollywood actor, she has lived most of her life with the fact that she has family members who’re more famous than her. Would she be okay if her daughter, Inaaya, grows up to be moderately famous, too? “Whatever level of fame [Inaaya] achieves, whether she’s incredibly famous, moderately famous, or totally anonymous... doesn’t make any difference,” says the 39-year-old, who is married to actor Kunal Kemmu.

Soha, who gave birth to Inaaya on September 29, 2017, says that she’ll support her daughter in whatever she chooses to do. “Whether she wants to be a full-time mother, astronaut, actor, or architect, I will support her. I want to give her a good foundation, and be involved in her life. I want to teach her my values. And then, ultimately, I want to be able to help [make] her dreams come true,” says Soha.

In the age of social media, when star kids come into the spotlight within weeks or days after birth, Soha says that setting some examples is the best way to teach children how to deal with comparisons. “I’ll show her that these things don’t matter or affect you,” says the actor. “Also, one must learn to respect other people’s opinions. If somebody disagrees with you, it doesn’t mean you block them out or you remove yourself from the equation. Sometimes, it’s good to have a healthy debate. And then, of course, you can agree to disagree as well. And live and let live…”

She adds, “I’d like to exhibit that kind of behaviour around Inaaya. I do want her to have a tough skin — I believe that in the world today, it’s important to have one, otherwise it can get to you. People are very direct and outspoken, and sometimes you hear things that can hurt us. I want her to be able to withstand that.”

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