Even after years of separation, Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan The love story and marriage continues to be a topic of discussion among their fans. The fact that their 12-year age difference attracted attention (Saif was 12 years younger than the Naam actor) was considered an anomaly at the time. Not only that, but their different religious identities were also questioned.
Amrita was born to a socialite Muslim mother, Rukhsana Sultana, and a Punjabi Jat Sikh father, an army officer named Shivinder Singh Virk, while Saif Ali Khan came from the Pataudi royal family. While Saif’s mother and veteran actor Sharmila Tagore had converted to Islam after marrying his father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in an old interaction, the Dil Chahta Hai actor admitted that he never forced his first wife to convert to Islam. But what really it happened back in the day nikaahand how his different religious identities confused his daughter Sara Ali Khan, is something that still intrigues many. Let’s find out.
Saif came to Amrita’s house for dinner and never left.
Saif and Amrita met on the set of a Rahul Rawail film, and Saif almost immediately fell in love with her when he asked her out. Amrita, however, kept her guard up and eventually invited Saif to her house for dinner. That dinner changed everything.
“At the end of the night, we kissed. I never left his house after that dinner. I used to sleep in another room,” Saif said during an old interaction on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. Although Saif’s mother was aware of their relationship, she was opposed to them getting married. Saif continued, “My mother knew about our relationship, but she always told me, ‘I hope you are happy in your relationship, but don’t get married.’” After a few months of dating, Saif and Amrita tied the knot in an impromptu wedding.
Amrita’s name changed to ‘Aziza’ during nikaah with Saif Ali Khan
Later, designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla revealed details of the couple’s quickie wedding and how a Maulvi and a Sikh priest were called to perform the rituals. They also revealed how the wedding took place at their friend’s apartment and how Amrita adopted the name ‘Aziza’ during the nikaah ceremony.
Speaking to Namrata Zakaria on her YouTube channel, they said, “We signed as witnesses at their nikaahnama. One fine day, they came to us and said, ‘We want to get married now!’ It was Saif; Dingy was still undecided. They were in love and he lived with her; It must have been six or eight months. He was ready for it, she yes-no, yes-no. We lived in a room at the time. We went to see a friend of ours and she offered to be a host. I was a single person living alone in a beautiful apartment. Abu and I were dressed up as Dingy and of course we called a maulvi.
They continued, “There was also a sardarji pandit sitting there. He got ready what suited him, because there was no time… Fortunately, from his mother, he got some fantastic jewelry. Saif was wearing a bandhgala. Then, the maulvi said, ‘What is your name? Your name has to start with A’. The four of us started looking at each other and the pandit says, “Aziza.” That was a runaway bride, it was crazy. When she came back, her mother called her… Finally, they took it with her. calm.”
Story continues below this ad.
Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan divorced after 13 years of marriage. (Photo: Express Archives)
Saif on Amrita not being forced to convert to Islam
However, in an old interaction, Saif shared that he never forced Amrita to convert to Islam after their wedding. “Dingy (Amrita Singh) was never forced to convert to Islam or practice and follow the Islamic religion. So from the beginning in our case it was like ‘To each his own religion’ and even when my children Sara and Ibrahim were in their growing stage, I strictly followed the same principle.”
Saif also shared that he used to take care of his children, Sara and Ibrahim Ali Khan, when Amrita used to visit the gurdwara during their marriage. “So when Dingy used to go on his regular prayer visits to the Gurudwara (Sikh community temple), I used to take care of the children and even later found time to take care of them on all such occasions,” he added.
Saif was ‘concerned’ about Sara and Ibrahim’s Islamic roots after separation
However, Saif admitted that he was “worried” about his children knowing his Islamic roots after he separated from Amrita after 13 years of marriage. “But when we split up, I was more worried about Sara and Ibrahim, who were then in Dingy’s custody. But of course, I had trusted her enough and I was very sure that Dingy would never try to influence them in any way and certainly not when it came to our religion,” he said.
This was the time when Saif would marry his now wife Kareena Kapoor, and when asked if there was any religious dispute in this relationship, he said, “It never made any difference then and it’s not going to make any difference now as far as my strong religious beliefs are concerned. Period!”
Story continues below this ad.
Actress Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan.
Sara Ali Khan was confused about her religious identity
At the Times Now Summit 2025, Sara Ali Khan admitted that she was confused about her family’s religious identity and how her mother’s words changed everything for her. She said: “I was very young, I was in school, and even when my parents were married and we used to immigrate together abroad, I always wondered… Amrita Singh, Saif Pataudi, Sara Sultana, Ibrahim Ali Khan, what is happening? Who are we? And I asked her, do you remember my mom, what am I? And she told me, you are Indian. And I will never forget it.”
Sara often makes headlines for her frequent visits to Hindu temples and shrines like Kedarnath. Post regularly about the same on social media.