Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's Love Story

 

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (Tiger Pataudi) and Sharmila Tagore were meant to be together.  When they first met in person, in 1965, through a mutual friend, they realized they had something in common. Sharmila knew about the Nawab Of Pataudi at the time, but Tiger had never heard of her and had never seen any of her movies. His feelings for her were undeniable at first sight. But wooing the Bengali beauty wasn't simple.

The Day Tiger Delivered Seven Refrigerators to Shamira's House

Soha Ali Khan (Sharmila and Tiger's daughter) said in an interview with Lallantop that Tiger sent 7 refrigerators to her home in order to evoke a response from Sharmila. Soha said, "Abba, Amma ek film party mein mile. Abba liked Amma, she was very beautiful, she still is. He tried to pursue her but Amma wasn't giving bhaav. She was a little unsure. Then Abba sent 7 refrigerators at Amma's home to get some kind of reaction from her. Amma then rang him asking 'What is happening?' So this is how it started."

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For years, Sharmila and Tiger's relationship was characterized by its unpredictability. Sharmila had previously admitted in an interview that she and Tiger were highly impulsive.. This passionate spontaneity started when they were dating but it was carried on into their married life as well. They accompanied each other around the world in order to spend quality time with one another. After the birth of their first child, Saif Ali Khan, things slowed down considerably.

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Sharmila revealed a bit about their whirlwind affair in the interview: "I was shooting in Panvel and Tiger was going to Ahmedabad. So, I thought, 'Let me go to the airport to say bye to him.' And I made my driver drive very fast. And I came to the airport and he was just getting out of his car. So, I said bye and he asked me, 'What are you doing?' He asked me to come with him and I went. I didn't have clothes or anything, I just went. I was so much in love."

"We did impulsive things all the time but it all had to stop when Saif arrived," she said.

She was utterly taken aback when Tiger popped the question. Sharmila claimed in the interview that Tiger told his mother that he and Sharmila had agreed to marry before formally proposing to her in Paris. She stated, "We went to meet Amma and there he announced that he and I have decided to marry. He didn't tell me but he announced it there. He later proposed formally in Paris."

Sharmila continued to work even after she married Tiger, but her colleagues did not. In reality, Aradhana (1969) and Amar Prem (1972) were both released after Saif was born.

In the 1960s, interfaith marriage was a novel idea in India, which was not known for its progressiveness. The new couple, on the other hand, showed how to do it and emerged as one of the most attractive and loving couples.

Their religions were never a major factor in their relationship, as Sharmila expressed it.

"When we decided to get married, we didn’t even know the words secular or communal — we were in the throes of young love; we didn’t know what the fuss around us was all about. We weren’t aware of the larger ramifications because for us, the world began and ended with each other. Being together wasn’t really a deliberate defiance of norms, it just stemmed from an overwhelming desire to be together."

In 1967, Indian actress Sharmila Tagore became the first to pose in a bikini. The couple was dating at the time, but they didn't seem bothered by such trivialities. His unwavering support for her actions showed how at ease she was with her choices.

After becoming a mother, she resumed her acting career and continues to do so even after her marriage. Female performers were often forced to give up their acting careers after marriage.

On September 22, 2011, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi died. A lot of people were inspired by Sharmila and Tiger's ever-evolving love story, and that inspiration is still going strong today.