In a recent interview, Sharmila Tagore recalled how the controversy around her bikini became a topic of discussion in Parliament.
Veteran actress, Sharmila Tagore has been way ahead of her times. Though the actress is hugely applauded for her female-oriented movies like Aradhana and Anupama, she was the first actress in Bollywood to wear a swimsuit for her film, An Evening In Paris. And it became a hot topic of discussion.
In a recent interview with The Times Of India, Sharmila Tagore recalled the bikini controversy and how it became a hot topic. Revealing how it became a topic of discussion in the Parliament, Sharmila stated:
“When I did An Evening In Paris, my bikini scene was shocking. The public, including the industry, was quite surprised. I believe there were questions asked in Parliament at that time. Although it looks very innocent now, compared to the kind of films we see today.”
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In the same interview, the veteran actress recalled a funny incident that happened during that time. Revealing how she got the poster of the film removed in the middle of the night since her mother-in-law was visiting, Sharmila shared:
“I remember there was a poster of the film on the road (near her home), and my mother-in-law was coming to town, so I got my driver to take down that poster in the middle of the night – not realising that there might be other posters on the way from the airport."
Born into the prominent Tagore family, 14-year-old Sharmila Tagore made her debut in the film industry in 1959 and in no time, she created a niche for herself in Hindi and Bengali cinema. It was in 1966 when Sharmila donned a bikini for a magazine shoot. She had unleashed her bold side by wearing a sky-blue coloured one-piece swimsuit in her film, An Evening In Paris and a black bikini for the cover of Filmfare magazine.
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When the magazine was published, Sharmila Tagore was in London. People started criticising the actress for her bold move. In a candid conversation with Diya Jaiswal for the book club, Ladies Study Group, Sharmila revealed that she was very upset with people’s reactions. Amid the controversy, the stunning actress sent a telegram to her husband, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who was very supportive. Recalling Mansoor’s reaction, Sharmila shared:
“I sent a telegram to Tiger, and he said, ‘I’m sure you are looking very nice.’ He was very supportive.”
On the work front, Sharmila Tagore made her comeback to acting with the film, Gulmohar.
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