Actor Saif Ali Khan has once again found himself in the spotlight over the name of his elder son, Taimur Ali Khan. During a recent appearance at We The Women, the actor shared a fresh explanation behind choosing the name, but his latest remarks have drawn attention after fans noticed they contradict both his earlier statement and Kareena Kapoor’s old interview on the same topic. Speaking at the event, Saif revealed that the name “Taimur” was inspired by a child who lived next door.He said, “We had a kid with this name as our next door neighbour. The meaning of it was ‘iron’. It’s a lovely name which we liked the sound of and Kareena and I discussed it. We had no idea that it’s got such strong kind of… people saying that there was an Asian Turkish invader of India with similar sounding name that has very negative connotations.” However, soon after the clip went viral, an older video of Kareena Kapoor resurfaced on social media, offering a different account of how the name was chosen.
In the old interview, Kareena had credited Saif with selecting the name because of his interest in history. She had said, “He loves history. He’s very articulate on the warriors he likes. He reads about them and I think he was a fan of Mongol Taimur. And also the fact that, as a child, he read a lot about it.”
Interestingly, Saif’s latest statement also differs from what he had told Mumbai Mirror years ago when the controversy first erupted after Taimur’s birth.Addressing the criticism at the time, Saif had said, “My wife and I love the sound of it and we love its meaning. I am aware of the heritage of the Turkish ruler – he was Timur. My son is Taimur, an ancient Persian name that means iron.”His latest claim that he and Kareena were unaware of the historical association has therefore raised eyebrows, as his previous interview acknowledged the ruler’s legacy. Controversy over Taimur’s name When Saif and Kareena welcomed their first son on December 20, 2016, the name Taimur Ali Khan immediately became a subject of intense debate on social media. Many associated it with Timur, the Central Asian conqueror who invaded Delhi, leading to widespread criticism of the couple’s choice.Despite the backlash, Saif had maintained that the name was selected because they loved its sound and meaning, and not because of any political or historical symbolism.Saif and Kareena married in 2012 after dating for five years. They later welcomed their second son, Jehangir Ali Khan, on February 21, 2021.