“Nobody should name their child Taimur”: How Vivek Agnihotri reignites old Saif-Kareena storm

Vivek Agnihotri has once again found himself in the middle of a headline storm, this time for the name of a child character in his upcoming film The Bengal Files. Ever since the trailer dropped on August 16, audiences couldn’t help but notice a moment where a child is named Taimur. Many immediately speculated that this was a sly dig at Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, who had faced intense scrutiny years ago for naming their firstborn Taimur.

Addressing the controversy on The Raunac Show, Agnihotri clarified that the choice of name wasn’t a personal attack on Saif or Kareena. But in the same breath, he made his own stance clear: “Of course nobody should name their child Taimur. It shouldn’t even be a question.” He went on to recount his visit to Samarkand during the shoot of The Tashkent Files, where he saw the tomb of Timur (Tamerlane). Sharing the historical background, he recalled how Timur had massacred thousands and left behind a trail of destruction across Delhi and Kashmir. “Yes, he is celebrated in his land, but not here. Why glorify him through a child’s name?”

This conversation has naturally pulled Saif Ali Khan back into the spotlight. Back in 2016, when Saif and Kareena revealed their son’s name, they faced a barrage of backlash online. Saif had even admitted in an interview with Delhi Times that he briefly considered changing it. 'I thought for a second about changing his name. For a couple of weeks. But Kareena was against it. She said, ‘People respect you for your opinion and you can’t.' Though he toyed with the idea of renaming, the couple eventually stuck with it.

Over the years, little Taimur, fondly called Tim has grown into one of Bollywood’s most photographed star kids. From airport looks to birthday parties, he became a paparazzi favourite almost overnight, softening the noise around his name with his adorable presence.

Meanwhile, Agnihotri’s film The Bengal Files is preparing for release with an ensemble cast including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Saswata Chatterjee, and others. The film revisits the haunting riots of Bengal in 1946, promising to spark conversations just like the director’s earlier works.