Saif Ali Khan recently opened up about the emotionally overwhelming aspect of parenting adult children. He spoke about how watching his daughter, Sara Ali Khan, and son Ibrahim Ali Khan, carving their own paths, felt like. During the interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor dwelt on the fact that, as a parent, it is very hard to step aside and not get involved even when our protective instincts tell us otherwise.
Saif Ali Khan On Sara Ali Khan, Ibrahim Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan, who parents Sara and Ibrahim, with his wife Amrita Singh, and his ex-wife, confessed that the most difficult thing he has learned is to watch his children’s problems without intervening. He pointed out that although the parent is usually the one who wants to do the fixing straight away, children will only have true growth when they encounter failure without any help. He has, over the years, come to the realization that he cannot always be there for them and that he must let them go through their own trials, which, he believes, are the key to their independence.
When asked if he could detach himself from their experiences on the emotional level, given that the environment is very demanding film-wise, Saif said that it is highly unlikely that he can maintain distance altogether. He said that a friend once put it very rightly when he said that a parent’s joy is very dependent on the child’s emotional state. That idea, according to him, has lingered with him ever since and is a very clear indication of how intimately he is in tune with their welfare.
While talking about Sara, Saif let it out that she has gone back to Columbia University in New York. He said that he was the one who constantly pushed her to live life without being under the constant pressure of the film industry and not to let movies become her sole identity. He also said that frequently he gives this advice to both his kids that they should conceive acting as a craft in which they need to grow, rather than a competition where they need to be the winners. He claims that the competitive aspect of the industry can become very suffocating without one’s being aware of it, and he, hence, tries to comfort them by dispelling that notion when necessary.
While talking about his son Ibrahim, Saif mentioned the concept of visibility. According to him, one of the biggest drawbacks of being in the limelight constantly is that it can rob an actor of his mystique, which, however, he thinks is vital. Though he admits that his opinion may sound quite traditional, he argues that being everywhere can expedite the thinning of one’s presence on the screen. He even goes as far as to include himself among the majority of parents who harbor the silent fear that life doesn’t turn out perfectly for all.
Saif Ali Khan’s Workfront
Saif was most recently in the movie Jewel Thief and has agreed to star in a Bengali biopic, the details of which are still under wraps. He had also filmed for the horror-thriller Haiwaan, which is anticipated to be released in 2026.