Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan’s (fondly called Tiger Pataudi) love story was one to remember as they faced many hurdles together and opposition from the society as they got married. Both Pataudi and Sharmila belonged to different religions and in that era, interfaith marriages were not easy. In an interview, Sharmila had revealed that she converted to Islam. She had expressed her thoughts on it.
She said during a chat with Simi Garewal, “It wasn’t easy nor was it very difficult. It had to be faced and understood. You couldn’t be very flippant about it.” She said, adding that she wasn’t particularly religious before the conversion. “Now, I think I know more about Hinduism and Islam.”
She revealed that Tiger had suggested the name Ayesha for her. Sharmila had also recalled her first meeting with her mom-in-law, Nawab Begum Sajida Sultan of Bhopal. She said, “The first time I met Amma, I was, of course, very nervous. She asked, ‘What do you think about my son?’ I said, ‘I like him.’ She then asked, ‘What do you intend to do?’ I replied, ‘I don’t know yet; I just met him. I am very fond of him, and at this point, you have known him for longer.’”
Sharmila and Sajida Sultan built a bond which was based on very healthy mutual respect, she said. In an earlier interview, the actress had also shared how they were getting death threats when she married Pataudi. She said during a chat with Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, Sharmila recalled the hostility. “In Kolkata, when I was getting married, my parents were getting telegrams saying that bullets shall speak. And Tiger’s family was also getting… they were getting a little worried,” she revealed. Despite the tension, the wedding and reception went smoothly. “Nothing untoward happened,” Sharmila said.
