Throwback interview of Sharmila Tagore reminiscing the moment when she met Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi for the first time.
Some love stories are always etched in people's hearts and they have surely reinstated our faith in relationships. One such epic love story is of the legend of Indian cricket, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and the diva of Bollywood, Sharmila Tagore. The duo had met each other through a common friend and even after being attracted to the handsome cricketer, Sharmila had taken four years to say 'yes' to Mansoor.
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was born with a silver spoon and became a pioneering figure in India's rich cricketing heritage. Just like his father, Iftikhar Ali Khan, Mansoor had impressed the cricket fans with his strokes and moves which not many would have imagined on-field on those days. Mansoor had found his sapnon ki rani in Sharmila Tagore, the leading Bollywood actress of her time, and the couple had tied the knot on December 27, 1969. Mansoor and Sharmila are blessed with three children, Saif Ali Khan (1970), Saba Ali Khan (1976) and Soha Ali Khan (1978).
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In a throwback interview with Filmfare, Sharmila Tagore had revealed that her life had changed completely after the demise of her husband, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Recalling the time she had met him for the first time, Sharmila had shared:
"Life has completely changed after Tiger’s demise. We were together for 47 years out of which we were married for 43. December 27, 2012 was our 43rd wedding anniversary. I remember I met him a few weeks before my 21st birthday. My family was crazy about cricket and that’s how I met Tiger."
In the 60s and 70s, there was a pre-conceived notion that marriage with someone from a filmy or cricketing background would not last long. And in Mansoor and Sharmila’s case, religion was also a major hurdle as she belonged to a Bengali family and he was a Muslim. But to marry the Nawab, Sharmila had converted to Islam and had become Ayesha Sultana. Bets were placed that their marriage would not last but the duo had defied all the odds.
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Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's wedding was the most talked about affair in the country. However, did you know that before tying the knot, Sharmila had put forward a special condition to marry Mansoor? Yes, according to media reports, Sharmila had asked Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi to hit a hat-trick of sixes in a match to which the legendary cricketer had agreed. And rest, as they say, is history!
In an interview with Free Press Journal, Sharmila had talked about her husband, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's biopic. Speaking about the same, she had said:
"Well it will depend on who the captains of the ship are – the producers and director. It is a good story, I think, with all the twists and the turns in his life….father’s death, losing his eye after which his average came down from 60 to 30. To receive such a blow at such a young age….I don’t think anyone else has been able to make those adjustments and that kind of an impact with one eye. He not only batted but also fielded after the eye accident. I think he was a wonderful sportsperson. God knows, what he’d have achieved if he had both his eyes."
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi bid adieu to the world on September 22, 2011.
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