Saif Ali Khan was born as Sajid Ali Khan on 16 August 1970 in New Delhi, India. He is the son of legendary actress Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. He belongs to the prominent Pataudi family and was raised alongside his sisters, actress Soha Ali Khan and jewellery designer Saba Ali Khan.
He received his education at The Lawrence School, Sanawar, Lockers Park School in England, and Winchester College. He subsequently entered the Hindi film industry and made his acting debut with Parampara (1993). His early films included Aashik Awara, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, and Yeh Dillagi and Main Khiladi Tu Anari, which helped increase his popularity.
Saif experienced a major career transformation in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His performances in Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Kal Ho Naa Ho established him as a successful contemporary actor, while Hum Tum (2004) brought him the National Film Award for Best Actor. He subsequently received critical acclaim for performances in Ek Hasina Thi, Parineeta, Being Cyrus, and especially Omkara (2006), in which he portrayed the character Langda Tyagi.
He continued his commercial success with films including Race, Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail, and Race 2. Later, he took on more challenging roles in projects such as Sacred Games, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, and Vikram Vedha. His performance in Tanhaji earned him another Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Saif Ali Khan has received several major honours, including seven Filmfare Awards, a National Film Award, and the Padma Shri in 2010.