Taimur Ali Khan’s nanny Lalita D’Silva recalls a time when people would frequent a park in London where Taimur played, often asking for selfies.
Lalita, the nanny of Taimur Ali Khan and his brother Jeh, offered a candid glimpse into the media frenzy surrounding the young celebrity. She said that when the family stays at their favourite London hotel, Claridge’s, they often visit a nearby park. However, what should be a simple outing turns into a spectacle, as Indian families on vacation in London frequently gather around, eager to snap selfies with Taimur. “There is a famous five-star hotel, named Claridge’s in London, where Saif sir and Kareena have been staying for years. They don’t like any other hotel. Unko koi aur hotel suit nahin karta (they don’t prefer staying in any other hotel). There is a park close by. We always used to go there. We found it safe. A lot of Indian families visit London for their summer holidays and when they would learn our whereabouts, they would crowd the park,” Lalita told Hindi Rush.
Lalita also recalled having to be stern with these admirers, reminding them to focus on their own children instead of crowding around Taimur. Despite her efforts, the attention never waned. “Mothers would surround Taimur and get excited about clicking selfies with him. I had to question them, ‘Aap apne bacchon ko chor kar Taimur ke pecche kyun lage ho, woh bhi ek normal baccha hai (Why are you abandoning your own kids and are after Taimur? He is a regular child after all!) Let him play on his own and you take care of your child instead of coming and clicking pictures of Taimur. I would urge them to click pictures with their sons and daughters. Mujhe strictly bolna padta tha (I had to be stern). Main bahut pareshan ho jati thi (I would get hassled). Ek mother ko answer nahin kiya ki dursri aur teesari aajati thi (Even if I said no to one mother, a second and third would come and gather around Taimur). It was extremely irritating. Taimur couldn’t even play there,” she rued.
Interestingly, Taimur’s popularity isn’t confined to London; whether in Switzerland, Turkey, or other parts of Europe, he remains a recognisable figure wherever there’s an Indian community. His global recognition at such a young age hints at a future where his celebrity status may only grow, according to Lalita, who was once a nanny to Anant Ambani as well. However, she disliked the term “nanny”. “He (Taimur) is global at this stage, imagine what he will become when he grows up in the future?,” she added.
Lalita said Saif and Kareena have come to accept this as part of their reality. The question of how to shield their children from the public eye seems almost a moot point. She added, “Aap kahan tak bacche ko chupaoge? (How long can you hide a child’s face?)”
Varinder Chawla, a veteran paparazzo, in a recent interview with Ishan on his YouTube channel, addressed the paparazzi’s obsession with Taimur. “There was a time when if we didn’t post pictures of Taimur, our posts would get comments like, ‘Aaj Taimur ka photo nahin aaya.’ Our DMs would be flooded with queries. We started taking his photos because Kareena and Saif initially allowed it, and the pictures went viral. The paparazzi then began clicking him obsessively because people adored his cuteness,” he added.
Varinder recounted a particularly alarming experience where he realised that they had gone too far. “Once, I went out to spot Taimur while riding pillion on a team member’s bike. Taimur was on his way to tuition, and I noticed there were 40-50 people on bikes following him. Main hil gaya (I was shaken). I wondered, ‘Where did these 50 people come from?’ Someone told me, ‘Aage tamasha dekhiye (Just wait and watch).’ 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 (No, this is wrong).’”
