Saba Pataudi at 50: Single, Not Lonely, Not Settling

For years, Saba Pataudi has stayed away from the arc lights that follow her family. But in a new interview, Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan’s sister has opened up about a question that follows many women in and beyond the film world: at 50, why is she still single?

Her answer is unapologetic and far from lonely. Saba, a jewellery designer and chief trustee of the Auqaf-e-Shahi (Royal Trust) — the reported Rs 1,000 crore legacy left by her father — says she never made a deliberate choice to remain unmarried. She simply has not met a companion worth changing her independent life for.

Single, but not lonely

Saba told She The People that she would have loved to have a companion, but she is not willing to settle. “I am a loner and can be but I’m not lonely,” she said. She added that strong women still face a difficult search for compatible partners because, in her words, “men still haven’t completely accepted strong women.”

Her independence, she explained, was shaped early. Her father taught her responsibility and self-reliance from a young age. The result, she said, was that many people she met felt more like boys than men — a reference she made while recalling a line actor Taapsee Pannu has used about needing a man and not a boy.

What she would still say yes to

Saba’s idea of partnership is clear: respect, care and friendship before chemistry. “Having a trustworthy partner you could talk to and relate to, so if I find someone like that, I’m still game,” she said. She wants someone low-key with a small circle at home, not necessarily a mirror image of her brother Saif’s outgoing, high-energy personality.

That difference does not mean distance. She described close, one-on-one equations with Kareena Kapoor Khan, Amrita Singh and Kunal Kemmu, and said the family remains tight.

• No conscious choice: She did not set out to stay single; the right person has not arrived.
• No compromise: She will not marry just for the sake of marriage.
• Still open: A respectful, trustworthy, low-key companion could change things at any point.
• Family first: Her bonds with her siblings, their partners and their children stay independent and close.

Don’t assume 50 is the final word

Asked whether family gatherings make her feel singled out, Saba said not really; she is proud that her siblings found spouses. She added that if a partner appears, she would like to see her family’s reaction. Her message to anyone assuming age has closed the chapter: “Don’t assume it.”

It is a reminder that the most interesting filmi stories are sometimes the ones away from the screen — about choosing depth, companionship and self-respect over a checkbox.

Source: The Times of India