Saif Ali Khan recently reflected on his decades-long journey in cinema and how success, for him, is closely tied to independence and responsibility. Looking back on his career, which began in 1993, he admitted he feels content with what he has achieved so far. “I’ll be happy with what I’ve got. It’s much more than I thought I’d get. My father would be so, so happy that I wasn’t asking him for money. He’d be thrilled. It’s every dad’s dream,” he said in a conversation with Times Now, while speaking about how his late father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, would have viewed his success.
Saif also spoke about how becoming a father himself changed the way he thinks about achievement and adulthood. “It’s my dream. That’s the dream, that they are successful, is what I mean. That they are standing on their own feet,” he added, referring to what he hopes for his own children. Saif shares daughter and son Ibrahim Ali Khan with former wife Amrita Singh, both of whom have entered the entertainment industry, while his younger sons, Taimur Ali Khan and Jehangir Ali Khan, with wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, are still growing up.
His comments draw attention to a broader conversation about parenting, financial independence, and how parents measure their children’s success beyond fame or status. Saif’s remarks also reflect the emotional shift many parents experience as they move from building their own lives to hoping their children develop resilience, responsibility, and a sense of self-worth.
Dr Sakshi Mandhyan, psychologist and founder of Mandhyan Care, tells indianexpress.com, “In my practice, I notice that for most parents, financial independence is emotionally symbolic. It is not only about earning enough money. Rather, it represents the key aspects of emotional maturity and the ability to stand steady in life. Parents feel reassured when they see their child managing adulthood with confidence and self-reliance.”
At the same time, Dr Mandhyan says that she has seen families unintentionally make achievement the main source of approval. “When this happens, children slowly begin believing they are lovable only when they are successful. Psychologically, this creates a sense of performance-based self-worth, which can become emotionally exhausting later on in life.”
She frequently encourages parents to value the person as well as the achievement. “Appreciation for honesty, resilience, kindness, emotional balance, and effort matters deeply, too. Children grow more securely when they know they can go through the continuous cycles of success and failure or struggle, and still remain emotionally valued within the family.”
“I observe that children not only listen to what parents say. They absorb how relationships feel around them,” states Dr Mandhyan. When adults handle disagreements with respect and emotional steadiness, the child usually grows up feeling safer internally.
She adds that even in separated families, children cope far better when they are not forced to choose sides emotionally. When both and respectful, the child spends less energy worrying about conflict and more energy exploring their own identity and interests.
“I also see that emotionally mature homes permit children to think independently. They feel less fearful of disappointing others and more comfortable making career choices that genuinely fit them. Confidence develops quietly in such environments. The child comes to learn that support is available even during mistakes or failure. This emotional security net becomes the foundation for better decision making and stronger self-belief in their later life stages,” concludes Dr Mandhyan.
