Vivek Agnihotri On Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan’s Son: “Nobody Should Name Their Child Taimur”

Vivek Agnihotri's upcoming film The Bengal Files has stirred controversy ever since its trailer was released on August 16. In one scene, a child is named Taimur, which sparked speculation that Agnihotri was targeting Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor for naming their firstborn Taimur back in 2016.

What Agnihotri Said

Appearing on The Raunac Show, Agnihotri clarified that he had not taken a jibe at Saif Ali Khan. However, he firmly stated that no one should name their child Taimur.

"A lot of people are named Taimur. Saif wasn't the first person to choose this name. Let me explain-when I was shooting The Tashkent Files in Samarkand, I visited Taimur's tomb. Outside, it is written that he conquered the richest sultanate in the world, the Delhi Sultanate. He was about to be given the title of Emperor, but he refused until he conquered Delhi," Agnihotri said.

He added, "He massacred one lakh people in a single night. From Delhi to Kashmir, he went on a killing spree, raping and pillaging along the way. Yes, he is celebrated as a hero in his country, but he is not a hero to us. Of course, nobody should name their child Taimur. This should not even be a debate."

The 2016 Backlash

When Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor revealed their son's name in 2016, it triggered widespread backlash. In an interview with Delhi Times the same year, Saif admitted that he had considered changing the name.

"I thought about changing his name for a couple of weeks. Kareena was against it. She said, 'People respect you for your opinion, and you can't...' I said yes, but it wasn't about people. I didn't want him to become unpopular. I still might-maybe when he's one or two, I could change his name. It's still sinking in, what to do," Saif had said.