Saba Pataudi on ₹1,000 cr Bhopal trust and Tiger’s code

For most Bollywood fans, the Pataudi name means cricket royalty, film glamour and one of Hindi cinema’s most photographed families. In a new interview, Saba Ali Pataudi has pulled back the curtain on the part of that legacy the cameras rarely show: the Aukaf-e-Shahi trust and the charitable work her father, former India captain Mansoor Ali Khan “Tiger” Pataudi, left in her care.

The ₹1,000 crore question, minus the glamour

Asked whether the legacy she inherited is worth over ₹1,000 crore, Saba did not reduce her answer to a balance sheet. She explained that Bhopal’s responsibility extends to Makkah and Medina through Rubaths — facilities that house and support Hajj pilgrims from Bhopal. The family, she said, acquires buildings and manages logistics so pilgrims are looked after during their stay.

In Bhopal itself, she looks after the monuments that fall under Aukaf-e-Shahi, the trust fund her father and grandmother ran. That includes mosques and other buildings under the trust, along with their upkeep.

“It does involve a lot of money but money that does not come back to India or does not get personally used at all to clarify,” Saba said. “It’s a charity organisation which is run by Saudi, independently but we are affiliated.”

That distinction matters. The trust is stewardship, not a personal inheritance. Its purpose is service, and Saba frames the position as a prestigious responsibility rather than a payday.

What Tiger taught her

Beyond the trust, Saba spoke about her father as her “go-to”, even now. She said she still talks to him spiritually. The lessons she carries are practical: fairness, justice, propriety, and keeping your cool.

She recalled him telling her that losing your temper only means losing your own temper — it makes no sense. That composure shows in how she communicates: precise words, no shouting, no screaming.

• Be fair and just: Tiger’s first condition for any responsibility.
• Don’t lose your cool: Anger only costs you your own peace.
• Choose words carefully: Precision speaks louder than volume.
• Take the best from both parents: Sharmila Tagore once said Saba has a bit of both her and Tiger.

Why it lands with fans

For a film-fan audience, this is a rare look at how a famous family handles duty away from the red carpet. Saba is not promoting a film or a brand; she is explaining a legacy that combines faith, real estate, pilgrim welfare and monument conservation. That gives the Pataudi story a second layer beyond Saif Ali Khan’s releases and Sharmila Tagore’s classic roles.

The family has always been drawn between public glamour and inherited responsibility. Saba’s words make the point that the inheritance is not for show — and that her father chose her because he felt she was equipped, had the time, and would carry it forward.

Tiger Pataudi died on September 22, 2011, at 70, after a lung infection. More than a decade later, his daughter is still working from the notes he left her.

Source: The Times of India