Khan is the youngest daughter of actress Sharmila Tagore and of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the 9th nawab of Pataudi. Both her father and paternal grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, are former captains of the Indian cricket team. Her older brother Saif Ali Khan is also a Bollywood actor and her elder sister, Saba Ali Khan, is a jewellery designer.

Khan attended The British School, New Delhi and studied modern history at Balliol College, Oxford and earned a Masters degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Khan made her acting debut with the Bollywood film Dil Maange More (2004). She performed in the Bengali film Antar Mahal (2005) and Rang De Basanti (2006). She appeared in Khoya Khoya Chand and in the 2009 film 99. Her next release was Tum Mile opposite Emraan Hashmi.

Khan hosted the game show Godrej Khelo Jeeto Jiyo. She also appeared in the film Mr Joe B. Carvalho.

Khan and actor Kunal Khemu got engaged in July 2014 in Paris^[11] and married in Mumbai on 25 January 2015.^[12]

Soha Ali Khan announced her pregnancy in April 2017 with husband Khemu and gave birth to their daughter on 29th September 2017. On 30 January 2017, Khan announced her book, The Perils of Being Moderately Famous,^[13] which will feature a collection of humorous anecdotes about her life as a royal princess. Her debut book will be published by Penguin India and is to be released later in 2017.

• List of Indian film actresses