“My Father Gave Me ₹500 on My 12th Birthday”: Soha Ali Khan on the Money Lesson That Shaped Her

Actor and author Soha Ali Khan has always been known for her warmth, wit, and candid charm. This year, she added a new feather to her cap with her podcast debut, All About Her, which premiered on YouTube on August 22. With its refreshing, non-judgmental tone and relatable conversations backed by expert insights, the podcast has quickly built a loyal audience. 

Now, with several well-loved episodes already out, Soha returns with her highly anticipated eleventh episode, featuring an insightful  conversation with two of India’s leading female voices in finance Radhika Gupta (CEO, Adel Wise Mutual Fund) and Tejal Bajla (Private Banking, Morgan Stanley). Together, they bring about knowledge of finance, savings and the importance of having a long term security for women. 

Stating about how she learned financial security at a young age she said, “When I was 12 years old, my father gave me Rs 500 as birthday present, but here is the interesting part- he offered me a choice, I could spend it however I liked or I  could give that 500rs back and in return  he will give me Rs 50 every October. I chose the second option because I thought he wanted me to do it and he kept his word. So every year, without fail, I got 50 rupees from him in October. And that small amount, it felt like a lesson in saving, and how a small, consistent habit, when compounded over time, grew into something significant. And this exercise taught me the value of saving, the value of planning for the future. And I think that I've been able to carry that mindset with me, whether it's how I handle my credit card as a debit card, make sure that my bills are paid on time, or how I would like to be on top, keeping track of my finances. Financial discipline has become a part of who I am today.’’