Soha Ali Khan was born on October 4, 1978 in New Delhi, India, into the family of the nawabs of Pataudi. Her father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the current nawab, is a former captain of the Indian cricket team. Her mother, Sharmila Tagore, is a noted film actress, and a distant relative (not a direct descendant, as often supposed) of the nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Her brother is actor Saif Ali Khan.

Before embarking upon her film career, Soha worked for the Ford Foundation and Citibank. She is involved in a range of activities outside the acting world, including serving on the Advisory Board for a new project of the public entrepreneur group, Res Publica. She has also modeled for the spring-summer 2007 collection of Globus, an Indian chain of boutiques.

About fashion and makeup: I don't go to film parties. I hate the idea of putting on make-up and getting ready for an occasion. I only like to work. I maybe misunderstood as an introvert, but that's me. Even when I am working, I hate to look into the mirror. I leave that to my make-up man (pauses).

Go on... But my mom doesn't like that. She tells me that being in the profession I am in, it is essential to look good before you give a shot. I am struggling to come to terms with that.

Who is your favourite personal designer? I don't like anybody in particular. I sometimes even mix a Versace skirt with a streetside top. I will wear anything that catches my fancy. On the whole, I am a very casual person – mostly you will see me in jeans and kurtis. For the evening I prefer saris.

You don't seem to be bothered by rumours? That might stem from the fact that my family has been in the public light for many years now. Hence we very well know how some sections of the media, especially tabloid, functions and how to ignore them. Some smart people use such magazines for their own publicity by making provocative statements and then denying them later knowing very well that the public has already heard it. So, it doesn't matter what others are talking about.

How well do you jell with your brother Saif? Just like other siblings, Bhai and I used to fight a lot, but nowadays since we hardly get time to meet each other, whenever we do we have a lot to catch up with. Though we try not to talk about movies, we end up discussing the same.

What do you do in your spare time? I just love to read anything – be it an autobiography or something interesting like Pulp Fiction (Fredrick Forsyth).

Are you a romantic person? Yes, I am a very romantic person. Although there is no one currently with whom I can be romantic with.

Trivia:

Date of Birth: 4 October 1978

City: New Delhi

Mother: Sharmila Tagore

Father: Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

Siblings: brother Saif Ali Khan

Boyfriend: Siddharth

Education: British School, graduate at Oxford, master's at London School of Economics in International Relations.

Likes: sports and theatre

Other facts: she prefers staying alone in Mumbai and managing her own affairs.

Occupation: bollywood actress

Debut Film: Iti Srikanta

Languages: Hindi, English

Previously on Spotlight:
Imraan Khan
Lara Dutta
Kunal Kapoor
Minissha Lamba
Arjun Rampal
Mallika Sherawat
Neil Nitin Mukesh
Malaika Arora Khan
Sonam Kapoor
Shilpa Shetty
Kangna Ranaut
Rani Mukherji
Aamir Khan
Salman Khan
Amitabh Bachchan
Emraan Hashmi
Amisha Patel
Abhishek Bachchan
Shahid Kapoor
Priyanka Chopra
Neha Dhupia
John Abraham
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Preity Zinta
Akshay Kumar
Shahrukh
Kajol
Katrina Kaif
Kareena Kapoor
Bipasha Basu
Saif Ali Khan
Deepika Padukone
Ranbir Kapoor
Hrithik Roshan