After Taimur Ali Khan was born in 2016, he became incredibly popular. The paparazzi followed him everywhere, snapping photos of him all the time. Shops started selling toys that looked like Taimur, and social media was full of his pictures. People couldn’t get enough of him, but this meant Taimur had no privacy.
Wherever he went, cameras were there, capturing his every move. Even though he was just a little boy, his life was always in the spotlight. This constant attention made it hard for Taimur to have a normal, private childhood.
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Paparazzo Varinder Chawla in an interview spoke about how the paparazzi were after Taimur Ali Khan 24×7 to click pictures of him because he was very much in demand. He accepts that it was because of people like them that the poor boy had no privacy in his childhood.
“We would spot Taimur outside their (Saif and Kareena’s) residence, and she (Kareena) had no objection. Demand badh gayi thi ki hum kya karte? 24 ghante uske peeche rehna shuru kar diya tha. Woh school ja raha hota tha toh uske peeche jaate the, tuition ja raha hota tha toh tuition jaate the. We would follow him when we would be playing. Bacche ki personal life hum logon ne disturb karna shuru kar di thi. Tab unhone request kiya that ki kuch jagahon par aap mat ayiye, jaise school ya tuition,” Hindustan Times quoted him saying.
He also went on to share a rather disturbing incident. There was one day when there were 40-50 photographers who chased Taimur on their bikes when he was on his way to tuition. Even Taimur’s nanny was scared. Saif Ali Khan had to call them and request them to avoid following Taimur to school and tuition.
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“Taimur was on his way to tuition, and I noticed there were 40-50 people on bikes following him. Main bhi gaya. I wondered ‘Where did these 50 people come from?’ Someone told me, ‘Aage tamasha dekhiye’ Some climbed onto the gates, and others surrounded his car as if they were going to attack him. I was scared and thought, ‘Nahin yaar yeh galat hai’ If I was so frightened, imagine what the family felt. Even Taimur’s nanny got worried. Saif called us and requested that we avoid following Taimur to school. That’s when we decided to respect their privacy. We set a limit and agreed not to cross that boundary. They have a personal life!”
It’s never easy growing up under the spotlight, and Taimur has probably faced some very difficult situations early on in his life.