Dear Little Taimur,

Three years of relentless attention and you still continue to wave and smile at the paparazzi. You are indeed a very special child. So special that you must stop being treated special.

Does that make sense? Someday, you will understand what it means to be so special that you are not constantly reminded of your specialness. I think your gorgeous grandmother…no, not that one the other one…Sharmila Tagoreji understands the perils of the preposterously premature paparazzi’s attention better than anyone in your family. She said, someday you will be able to understand what you went through when you were a small child.

What will you make of all this crazy attention when you are old enough to process it?

It is something that we will know when we will know. Meanwhile, those around you will constantly remind you of how special you are on this special day. Sorry, Rekha. Not she. You, Taimur you are the chosen one. There are so many other superstar-kids born to exceptional celebrity parents in Bollywood. Why don’t they get the attention that you do?

Come to think of it, the unreasonable attention at your tender age need not be a bad thing. How many celebrity children can claim they were superstars when we were toddlers? Not even Shirley Temple and Macaulay Culkin. The big minus to this blessed life of adulation birth is the lack of normalcy in your life.

On your birthday I wish you a day free of media attention. I wish you would have a normal birthday with cakes, candles, balloons, and family. But I am sure it won’t happen. The photographers will line up from early in the morning. They will follow you everywhere. Portals will write about your clothes, shoes, accessories.

As you turn 3 I can only wish and pray for the attention to shift from you to another star kid. Maybe Anushka Aunty and Virat Uncle will help you with this problem. Maybe you can put in a request? Until that happens, you can only do what you are doing. Enjoy being the biggest Khan superstar of the country. And grow up fast. Akshay Kumar wants to do a two-hero film with you.

I never heard him say that about his son. That does mean something, doesn’t it?

Happy Birthday, Taimur. I hope the photographers will at least let you have your cake and eat it too.

Lots of love and best wishes