When Saif Ali Khan insisted he never pressured Amrita Singh to change her religion to Islam after their marriage

When Saif Ali Khan insists he never pressured Amrita Singh to change her religion to Islam after their marriage

• Saif Ali Khan: Never asked Amrita Singh to convert to Islam during marriage
• Their wedding included both Muslim and Sikh traditions, respecting both faiths
• Saif trusted Amrita to let their children choose their own religious paths

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Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan addressed one of the most talked-about aspects of his first marriage — religion — and insisted that he never pushed his then-wife Amrita Singh to adopt Islam during their union. The revelation came in an interview Saif gave in the early 2010s, long after his separation from Amrita Singh, and has resurfaced in conversations about inter-faith relationships in Indian cinema.

Saif and Amrita’s relationship was notable from the start. The couple, who first met on the sets of a film in the late 1980s, surprised many when they tied the knot in 1991, despite a 12-year age gap and differing religious backgrounds — Saif is from a Muslim royal lineage and Amrita was born into a Sikh family. Their wedding included elements from both traditions, with both a maulvi and a Sikh priest present, symbolising the blend of beliefs and cultures in their union.

In the interview, Saif stressed that Amrita “was never compelled to convert to Islam or forced to practise the religion,” describing their approach as “to each their own religion.” He said this principle guided them even as their children Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan were growing up — and that he always respected Amrita’s right to her own faith.

"Dingy was never compelled to convert to Islam or forced to practice the religion. Right from the beginning, it was 'to each his own.' Even when my kids Sara and Ibrahim were growing up, I strictly followed that principle," Saif told The Siasat Daily in a 2010 interview.

Saif also shared that when Amrita would visit the Gurdwara for prayer, he would look after their children at home. "When Dingy went for her regular prayer visits to the Gurdwara—the temple of the Sikh community—I babysat them and continued doing so on such occasions," he added.

Reflecting on the period after their 2004 divorce, Saif admitted that he did have concerns about how Sara and Ibrahim would navigate their religious identities in Amrita’s custody but said he trusted her completely and never doubted she would honour both faiths fairly. "But when we separated, I was more worried about Sara and Ibrahim, who were then in Dingy's custody. I trusted her completely and was sure she wouldn't influence them religiously," Saif said.

Also read: Sara Ali Khan pens a sweet note for her ‘mommy jaan’ Amrita Singh as she turns 68

On the work front, Saif Ali Khan will next be seen in the Netflix film Hum Hindustani, written and directed by Rahul Dholakia. The film traces the tale of India's first election.