Actor Sharmila Tagore with her husband and former Indian cricketer “Tiger” Mansoor Ali Pataudi. (Express archive photo)
Sharmila Tagore recalls threats to her family over inter-faith marriage with Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi: ‘Bullets shall speak…’
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One of the most revered actors in India, two-time National Film Award laureate Sharmila Tagore has consistently captivated cinema audiences with her exceptional performances. A member of one of India’s most prominent film families, Sharmila recently revealed that she faced threats that her parents would be harmed if she married former Indian cricketer “Tiger” Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
In a conversation with Twinkle Khanna for Tweak India, the interviewer observed that Sharmila’s family exemplifies the concept of “blended families,” with its members originating from various backgrounds, cultures, and religions. Twinkle also brought up an incident from Sharmila’s past, where her parents faced threats of being gunned down when she was marrying a Muslim man. Sharmila recalled the menacing words of the threat they received: “Yes, bullets shall speak.” Sharmila was married to Tiger for 43 years till his death in 2011.
When Twinkle inquired how Sharmila, as the matriarch of the family, ensured harmony, the veteran actor explained that she didn’t play a significant role in it. “They all live in their own homes with their own adjustments. All want to keep in touch, basically. So, I really don’t have much to do with it.” When Twinkle pointed out that Sharmila had set a precedent for her family, the actor reflected on their unique situation: “In my family, all of them were married to Bengalis. And in Tiger’s family, they were all married to people from their own community. So, Tiger and I were the only people and we just announced to our respective families that we were getting married. Then we both were working, so we didn’t really know what the background angst were.”
“My family had organised the wedding at Fort William because they were very worried about what might happen since there were a lot of threats. But, Fort Williams refused at the last minute because some of the baraats that were coming had some Army connection. In the end, they found some Ambassador friend’s big house,” she added.
Despite her relatively short career, Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, had the opportunity to work with some of the most prominent figures in Bollywood during the six years following her debut in the 1995 movie Barsaat.
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She shared the screen with an impressive array of stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Venkatesh, Sanjay Dutt, Karisma Kapoor, Govinda, and Monica Bedi. Notably, she also co-starred with Saif Ali Khan in two films, Dil Tera Diwana (1996) and Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan (1999).
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