Sharmila Tagore facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sharmila Tagore
Begum Mother of Pataudi
Tagore in 2024
Begum Consort of Pataudi
Titular	1968–1971
Predecessor	Sajida Sultan
Successor	Kareena Kapoor
Born	(1944-12-08) 8 December 1944 (age 80) Cawnpore, British India
Other names	Begum Ayesha Sultana
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1959–2010 2023–present
Spouse(s)	Mansoor Ali Khan ​ ​ (m. 1968; died 2011)​
Children	3
Family	Tagore family Pataudi family
Honours	Padma Bhushan (2013)

Sharmila Tagore (born 8 December 1944), also known as Begum Ayesha Sultana, is a famous Indian actress. She is well-known for her work in both Hindi and Bengali films. Many people consider her one of the greatest actresses in Indian cinema history. She was famous for playing both traditional and modern women in her roles.

Sharmila Tagore has won many awards, including two National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. In 2013, the Government of India gave her the Padma Bhushan. This is India's third-highest award for citizens. She received it for her important contributions to Indian culture through acting.

Sharmila Tagore was born into the important Tagore family. This family was very influential in Calcutta during the Bengal Renaissance. She started acting at age 14 in Satyajit Ray's famous Bengali film The World of Apu (1959). She worked with Ray on several other films, like Devi (1960) and Nayak (1966). These films helped her become a leading actress in Bengali cinema.

Later, Tagore also started acting in Hindi films. Her first Hindi film was Shakti Samanta's Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). She became a top actress in Hindi cinema with movies like Waqt (1965), An Evening in Paris (1967), and Aradhana (1969). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Aradhana. She also won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Mausam. After a break, she returned to films in 2023 with Gulmohar.

Besides acting, Sharmila Tagore was also the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification. She held this position from 2004 to 2011. In 2005, she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She was married to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a famous cricketer and the Nawab of Pataudi. They had three children: actors Saif and Soha, and jewellery designer Saba.

Early Life and Family Background

Sharmila Tagore was born on 8 December 1944 in Cawnpore (now Kanpur). Her father, Gitindranath Tagore, was a general manager in a British company. Her mother was Ira Tagore. Sharmila's father came from the important Tagore family in Bengal. This family was distantly related to the famous Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore. Her mother was from the Assamese Barua family.

Sharmila was the oldest of three children. She had two younger sisters, Oindrila Kunda and Romila Sen. Her sister Oindrila acted in one film, Kabuliwala (1957), when she was a child.

Sharmila Tagore went to St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School. She started acting when she was a 13-year-old schoolgirl. Because of her acting, her school studies became less important. Her father told her to focus completely on her film career to become successful.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out (1959–1968)

Sharmila Tagore with Soumitra Chatterjee at a presentation for Apur Sansar in 2009

Sharmila Tagore began her acting career in Satyajit Ray's Bengali film Apur Sansar (1959). In this film, she played a young bride. In 1960, Ray cast her again in Devi. This film was about old Hindu traditions and new ideas. Sharmila considers Devi her favorite film and performance. She also appeared in other Bengali films like Nirjan Saikate, for which she won an award.

She made her first Hindi film appearance in Shakti Samanta's musical romance Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). She starred alongside Shammi Kapoor in this film. She worked with Samanta on other films, including the romantic thriller An Evening in Paris (1967). Her role in Anupama (1966) with Dharmendra helped her become very popular.

Big Success and Stardom (1969–1980)

The 1970s were a very successful time for Sharmila Tagore. She had many popular films that were loved by critics and audiences. Her films with actor Rajesh Khanna were especially popular. They starred together in many romantic dramas, including Aradhana (1969), Safar (1970), and Amar Prem (1971). These films made her one of the top actresses of her time. The Tagore-Khanna pair became one of the best on-screen duos in Indian cinema. Sharmila won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Aradhana.

During this time, she also worked with actor Uttam Kumar in films like Nayak and Amanush (1975). She starred in Gulzar's film Mausam (1975) with Sanjeev Kumar. For Mausam, she won the National Film Award for Best Actress.

She also worked with Dharmendra in seven successful films, including Chupke Chupke (1975). She appeared with Amitabh Bachchan in Chupke Chupke and Faraar (1975). Other films from this period include Tyaag (1977), which she also helped produce.

Later Work and Comeback (1981–Present)

In the 1980s, Sharmila Tagore appeared in films like Namkeen (1982) and New Delhi Times (1986). She acted again with Dharmendra in Sunny (1984). She also played important roles in Mississippi Masala (1991), an English film.

She appeared in two TV shows, Katha Sagar (1986) and Zindagi (1999). Sharmila Tagore also acted with her son Saif Ali Khan in his first film, Aashik Awara (1993). They also starred together in Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007).

She received praise for her role in Abar Aranye (2003), which won her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was also highly praised for her performance in Virruddh... Family Comes First (2005) with Amitabh Bachchan.

Tagore at an event

From 2007 to 2009, Tagore appeared in films like Fool & Final (2007) and Antaheen (2009). In 2009, she was a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival. After a 13-year break from acting, Sharmila Tagore made a comeback in 2023 with the film Gulmohar. Critics loved her performance, saying she showed great elegance and poise. For this role, she won the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress Critics.

In 2024, she returned to Marathi films with Outhouse. She is also set to appear in a new Bengali film called Puratawn.

Personal Life

Tagore with her daughter Soha at a film premiere

Sharmila Tagore married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi on 27 December 1968. He was the Nawab of Pataudi and a former captain of the Indian cricket team. After marriage, she changed her name to Begum Ayesha Sultana. They had three children:

• Saif Ali Khan (born 1970), who is a Bollywood actor.
• Saba Ali Khan (born 1976), who is a jewellery designer.
• Soha Ali Khan (born 1978), who is also a Bollywood actress.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi passed away in 2011.

Saif Ali Khan has two children from his first marriage: Sara Ali Khan (born 1995), who is an actress, and Ibrahim Ali Khan (born 2001). Saif later married actress Kareena Kapoor in 2012, and they have two sons, Taimur and Jeh. Soha Ali Khan married actor Kunal Khemu in 2015, and they have a daughter named Inaaya.

Filmography

Awards and Honours

Tagore receiving Padma Bhushan from President, Pranab Mukherjee

Sharmila Tagore has received many important awards and recognitions throughout her career.

Civilian Award

Film Awards

Other Awards

Special Honours

• 1999 - Honoured by the French government with the Insignes de Commandeur de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. This is a high French award for arts and literature.
• 2012 - Received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Edinburgh University. This was for her amazing contributions to Indian cinema.

See also

In Spanish: Sharmila Tagore para niños