The son of a nawab (an Indian prince),
Saif Ali Khan is the heir apparent to the royal houses of Bhopal and Pataudi (princely states in India). His father and grandfather were captains of India’s national cricket team. And with his devastating looks and solid acting chops, Saif has become prominent in his own right. However, his career was slow to take off. He debuted in 1992 and had some early successes, but he mostly floundered throughout the 90s. He started to gain traction in supporting roles in
Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). His 2005 film
Salaam Namaste with
Preity Zinta was a huge hit, and he won accolades for his work in
Parineeta (2005),
Omkara (2006), and
Eklavya (2007). He started his own production company in 2009 and its first film,
Love Aaj Kal, in which Saif starred opposite
Deepika Padukone, was a major hit. At the age of 21, he married a woman 12 years his senior. The couple had two children and divorced in 2004 after 13 years of marriage. He is currently involved with actress
Kareena Kapoor, with whom he co-starred in
Kurbaan in 2009. Saif’s mother, a former actress, is head of the Indian film censorship board. His two sisters, Saba Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan, are also actors.