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Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Nawab and his showgirl



It was not love at first sight for them but it lasted till the cricket legend passed away yesterday. It all started in 1965 when leading Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore met the sauve captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi at a common friend’s party.

But it was not easy for Tiger to win his lady love’s heart so he gifted her a refrigerator to win her heart. But finally it was roses that did the trick. ”She batted for four years,” Pataudi declared in several interviews later.

Family bids adieu

Like any Bollywood love story, there were hurdles with both set of parents throwing spanner in it. While Sharmila's parents were not open to the idea of their daughter getting married to a Prince, Pataudi’s parents were not happy with having a sex symbol as their daughter-in-law. Eventually both relented and the duo got married in 1969 and she became Ayesha Sultana after converting to Islam.

Their marriage broke all stereotypes as Sharmila went on to give hits like ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Mausam’, ‘Amar Prem’ among others. She once said in an interview, 'I haven't given up anything (after marrying Tiger). He is very liberal in his views. I've gained a lot of experience and gained another culture, cuisine, and way of dressing. I've benefited a lot.' This is one love story which lasted 42 years.

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