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 (Bengali: [ʃɔɾˈmila ˈʈʰakuɾ]; born 8 December 1944) also known by her married name Begum Ayesha Sultana, is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali films. Regarded among the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she is known for portraying both traditional and modern women. Tagore is a recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, the Government of India, honoured her with Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour for her contributions to Indian culture through performing arts.

Born into the prominent Tagore family, one of the leading families of Calcutta and a key influence during the Bengali Renaissance, Tagore made her acting debut at age 14 with Satyajit Ray's acclaimed Bengali epic drama The World of Apu (1959). She went on to collaborate with Ray on numerous other films, including Devi (1960), Nayak (1966), Aranyer Din Ratri (1970), and Seemabaddha (1971); thus establishing herself as one of the most prominent figures in Bengali cinema.

Tagore's career further expanded when she ventured into Hindi films with Shakti Samanta's romance Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema with films like Waqt (1965), Anupama (1966), An Evening in Paris (1967), Aamne Saamne (1967), Satyakam (1969), Aradhana (1969), Safar (1970), Amar Prem (1972), Daag (1973), Avishkaar (1974), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mausam (1975), and Namkeen (1982). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Aradhana and the National Film Award for Best Actress for Mausam. This was followed by intermittent film appearances in the subsequent decades, including in Mira Nair's Mississippi Masala (1991) and Goutam Ghose's Abar Aranye (2002), which won her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, and in the Hindi films Aashik Awara (1993), Mann (1999), Viruddh (2005), Eklavya (2007) and Break Ke Baad (2010). Following a hiatus of 13 years, she made her film comeback with the drama Gulmohar (2023).

Apart from acting, Tagore has also served as the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification from October 2004 to March 2011. In December 2005, she was chosen as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She was married to cricketer and the Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, with whom she had three children—actors Saif and Soha, and jewellery designer Saba.

Early life and background

Sharmila Tagore was born on 8 December 1944 in Cawnpore (now Kanpur), United Provinces to Gitindranath Tagore, a general manager in the British India Corporation, and his wife Ira Tagore (née Baruah). Tagore's father belonged to the aristocratic Bengali Hindu Tagore family, and were distantly related to the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, while her mother was of Assamese Hindu descent and hailed from the Barua family. Gitindranath was the grandson of the noted painter Gaganendranath Tagore, whose own father Gunendranath had been a first cousin of the laureate. In fact, Tagore is more closely related to Rabindranath Tagore through her mother: her maternal grandmother, Latika Barua (née Tagore), was the granddaughter of Rabindranath Tagore's brother, Dwijendranath Tagore. Tagore's maternal grandfather (husband of Latika Barua née Tagore) was Jnanadabhiram Barua, an Assamese who was the first principal of Earl Law College in Guwahati (now known as Government Law College), himself the son of the noted social worker Gunabhiram Barua. As a member of the Tagore family, she is also a distant relative of the actress Devika Rani and the painter Abanindranath Tagore (brother of Gaganendranath Tagore).

Tagore was the eldest of three children and had two younger sisters, the late Oindrila Kunda [Tinku Tagore] and Romila Sen [Chinky]. Oindrila was the first in the family to act in a film, and the only role she ever played was that of Mini, the child character (but a central character) in Tapan Sinha's film Kabuliwala (1957). In adulthood, she became an international bridge player. Her other sister, Romila Sen, married to Nikhil Sen, a businessman who served as chief operating officer of Britannia Industries for several years, died as the founder and managing director of Unibic Foods in November 2019.

Tagore attended St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School and Loreto Convent, Asansol. She made her film debut when she was a 13-year-old schoolgirl, after which her studies lost priority. Within a short while, her attendance and performance at school suffered, she came to be regarded as a bad influence on her classmates, and was faced with a choice of either doing films or studying further. At that point, her father advised her to move ahead in life, commit herself to a film career and 'give it her all' in order to become successful.

Career

Early work and breakthrough (1959–1968)

Sharmila Tagore with Soumitra Chatterjee at Apur Sansar presentation in 2009

Tagore began her career as an actress in Satyajit Ray's Bengali epic drama Apur Sansar (1959), as an ill-fated bride. In 1960, Ray cast her again in Devi, a film set in 1860 on Hindu orthodoxy and rational reforms, which she considers her favourite film and performance. She went onto appear in Bengali films Shes Anko and Nirjan Saikate, winning the IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) for the latter, alongside Chhaya Devi, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Renuka Devi and Bharati Devi.

Tagore made her Hindi film debut with Shakti Samanta's musical romance Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) alongside Shammi Kapoor. She and Samanta collaborated on several of his later films, including the romantic thriller An Evening in Paris (1967) again opposite Kapoor. ..... While the scene in the film is often referred to as 'the bikini scene', Tagore's swimwear is actually a one piece. However, she did pose in a bikini for the cover of Filmfare magazine in 1966. But, when she was the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification 36 years later, she expressed concerns about the increased use of bikinis in Indian films.

Tagore went on to appear in films such as the Hindi films Waqt (1965), Anupama (1966), Devar (1966), Aamne Saamne (1967), Mere Hamdam Mere Dost (1968), and the Bengali film Nayak (1966). Her performance in Anupama, opposite Dharmendra, proved to be her breakthrough.

Commercial success and stardom (1969–1980)

The 1970s marked the most successful period of Tagore's career with a string of critical and commercial successes, with her pairing with Rajesh Khanna being particularly praised and noted. The Tagore-Khanna pair yielded several successful films, most notably the romantic dramas Aradhana (1969), Safar (1970), Chhoti Bahu (1971), Amar Prem (1971), Raja Rani (1973), Daag (1973) and Avishkaar (1974), and the spiritual drama Maalik (1972). All these films established her as one of the leading actresses of the time, in addition to establishing the Tagore-Khanna pair as one of the greatest best on-screen pairs of Indian cinema. Aradhana, Safar and Amar Prem earned Tagore nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, winning the award for the former.

During this period, Tagore also worked with Uttam Kumar in several films, including Nayak, and the bilingual dramas Amanush (1975), Anand Ashram (1977) and Dooriyaan (1979).

She headlined Gulzar's musical romance Mausam (1975) alongside Sanjeev Kumar, which earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress, and her fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

She starred opposite Dharmendra in seven critical and commercial successes – Devar, Anupama, Mere Hamdam Mere Dost, Satyakam (1969), Yakeen (1969), Chupke Chupke (1975), Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka (1975).

She also worked alongside Amitabh Bachchan in Chupke Chupke, Faraar (1975) and Besharam (1978), opposite Shashi Kapoor in Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973) and Paap Aur Punya (1974).

Tagore's other films during this period included Ek Se Badhkar Ek (1976), Tyaag (1977), which she also co-produced, and the Malayalam film Chuvanna Chirakukal (1978) among others.

Further success and sporadic work (1981–2006)

In the 1980s, Tagore appeared in films such as Kalankini Kankabati (1981), Namkeen (1982), New Delhi Times (1986) and Maa Beti (1986). She reunited with frequent co-star Dharmendra in the action film Sunny (1984), which starred Dharmendra's son Sunny Deol in the lead role. Her performance in the film earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Tagore played pivotal roles in the Bengali action film Protidan (1983) opposite Naseeruddin Shah, and Mira Nair's interracial romantic drama Mississippi Masala (1991). She also appeared in supporting roles in Ghar Bazar (1998) and Mann (1999).

During this period, she also appeared in two television shows, Katha Sagar (1986) for DD National and Zindagi (1999) for Star Plus.

Tagore starred alongside her son Saif Ali Khan in his debut film Aashik Awara (1993) and the action drama Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007), receiving critical praise for the latter.

She also appeared in supporting roles in the musical romantic drama Dhadkan (2000) and the drama Abar Aranye (2003), the latter of which earned her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Tagore received high critical acclaim for her performance in the family drama Virruddh... Family Comes First (2005) alongside frequent co-star Bachchan, earning her fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Planet Bollywood noted, "Tagore, shines in a role tailor-made for her."

Intermittent work and acclaim (2007–present)

Tagore at an event

From 2007 to 2009, Tagore appeared in films such as Fool & Final (2007), Tasveer 8*10 (2009), Antaheen (2009) and the Marathi film Samaantar (2009). In 2009, Tagore became the jury member at the main competition of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, she played a supporting role in the romantic comedy-drama Break Ke Baad, which earned her critical acclaim, for which DNA India noting that, "Tagore pitches in with a strong performance." This was followed by a hiatus from acting.

Tagore made her comeback after a 13-year hiatus with the drama Gulmohar (2023), which released on Disney+ Hotstar. The film earned her critical acclaim, with the Hindustan Times noting that, "The elegance and poise Tagore exudes are remarkable. Her dialogue delivery, gestures, body language, emotions, everything looks just so effortless even after a long hiatus." India Today also opined that, "Tagore is always a joy to watch on screen. And, what a comeback!" Her performance earned her the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress Critics – Web Original Film, in addition to a nomination for Best Actress – Web Original Film.

In 2024, Tagore returned to Marathi films with Outhouse alongside Mohan Agashe, where she played a loving grandmother. Devesh Sharma of Filmfare noted, "Tagore brings warmth, wisdom, and a spark of curiosity to Aadima, portraying her as a nuanced blend of strength and vulnerability." Tagore is also set to make her comeback to Bengali films after 14 years with Suman Ghosh's Puratawn.

Personal life

Tagore with her daughter Soha at the premiere of Khoya Khoya Chand

Tagore converted to Islam, changed her name to Begum Ayesha Sultana, and married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the titular Nawab of Pataudi and Bhopal and former captain of the Indian cricket team, on 27 December 1968. They had three children: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan (b. 1970); Saba Ali Khan (b. 1976), a jewellery designer; and Soha Ali Khan (b. 1978), a Bollywood actress and TV personality. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi died at age 70 on 22 September 2011.

From 1991 to 2004, Saif was married to actress Amrita Singh. They have two children, daughter Sara Ali Khan (b. 1995), an actress, and son Ibrahim Ali Khan (b. 2001). His second marriage is to actress Kareena Kapoor in 2012 with whom he has two sons, Taimur Ali Khan (b. 2016) and Jeh Ali Khan (b. 2021). Soha married actor Kunal Khemu in 2015, and has a daughter Inaaya Naumi Khemmu (b. 2017).

Filmography

Films

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes	Ref.
1959	Apur Sansar	Aparna	Bengali
1960	Devi	Doyamoyee
1963	Shes Anko	Mala
	Nirjan Saikate	Renu
	Barnali	Aloka Choudhury
	Chhaya Shurjo	Ghentoo
1964	Subha O Debatar Gras
	Kinu Gowalar Gali	Neera
	Kashmir Ki Kali	Champa	Hindi
1965	Waqt	Renu Khanna
	Dak Ghar	Herself		Guest appearance
1966	Anupama	Uma Sharma
	Devar	Madhumati / Banwariya
	Sawan Ki Ghata	Seema
	Nayak	Aditi	Bengali
	Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi	Kiran / Kiranmai	Hindi
1967	Milan Ki Raat	Aarti
	An Evening in Paris	Deepa / Roopa "Suzy"
	Aamne Saamne	Sapna
1968	Mere Hamdam Mere Dost	Anita
	Humsaya	Leena Sen
	Dil Aur Mohabbat	Anuradha Verma
1969	Yakeen	Rita
	Satyakam	Ranjana
	Talash	Madhu / Gauri
	Aradhana	Vandhana Tripathi	Hindi
	Pyasi Sham	Madhu	Hindi
1970	Aranyer Din Ratri	Aparna	Bengali
	Suhana Safar	Sapna	Hindi
	Mere Humsafar	Taruna / Meenakshi
	My Love	Sangeeta Thakur
	Safar	Neela Kapoor
1971	Seemabaddha	Tutul	Bengali
	Chhoti Bahu	Radha	Hindi
	Badnam Farishte	Lawyer Renu		Guest appearance
1972	Amar Prem	Pushpa
	Dastaan	Meena
	Yeh Gulistan Hamara	Soo Reni
	Maalik	Savitri
1973	Raja Rani	Nirmala / Rani
	Daag	Sonia Kohli
	Aa Gale Lag Jaa	Preeti
1974	Shaandaar	Pratima
	Avishkaar	Mansi
	Paap Aur Punya	Jugni
	Charitraheen	Rama Chaudhary
	Shaitaan	Nisha
	Jadu Bansha	Mala	Bengali
1975	Mausam	Chanda / Kajli	Hindi
	Anari	Poonam
	Chupke Chupke	Sulekha Chaturvedi
	Faraar	Mala / Asha
	Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka	Aruna
	Amanush	Lekha	Bengali, Hindi	Bilingual film
	Khushboo	Lakhi	Hindi
1976	Ek Se Badhkar Ek	Rekha
	Do Shatru	Rajkumari / Kaali
1977	Anand Ashram	Asha	Bengali, Hindi	Bilingual film
	Tyaag	Sunita	Hindi	Also co-producer
1978	Besharam	Rinku / Monica
1979	Chuvanna Chirakukal	Jessinta Issac	Malayalam
	Dooriyaan	Lalita	Hindi
	Griha Pravesh	Mansi
	Mother		Bengali
1981	Kalankini Kankabati	Aparna / Kanka
	Naseeb	Herself	Hindi	Guest appearance
1982	Namkeen	Nimki
	Desh Premee	Bharti
1983	Protidan	Gouri	Bengali
	Gehri Chot – Urf: Durdesh	Shobha	Bengali, Hindi	Bilingual film
	Doosri Dulhan	Renu	Hindi
1984	Sunny	Sitara
	Jawaani	Sushma
	Divorce	Chandra
	Milenge Kabhi
1985	Ek Se Bhale Do	Mary D'Mello
	Bandhan Anjana
1986	New Delhi Times	Nisha
	Maa Beti	Savitri
	Swati	Sharda
	Ricky	Advocate Rukmini Khanna
1987	7 Saal Baad	Nisha
1988	Anurodh	Jaya / Maya	Bengali
	Hum To Chale Pardes	Trishna	Hindi	Guest appearance
1989	Doorie	Nisha
1991	Mississippi Masala	Kinnu	English
	Dastoor	Mohini Devi	Hindi
1993	Aashiq Awara	Mrs. Singh
1998	Ghar Bazar
1999	Mann	Suhana Devi Singh
2000	Dhadkan	Jhanvi Ranjan Chopra
2002	Abar Aranye	Aparna Asim	Bengali
2003	Shubho Mahurat	Padmini Chowdhury
2005	Viruddh... Family Comes First	Sumitra Patwardhan	Hindi
2006	Eklavya: The Royal Guard	Rani Suhasini Devi
2007	Fool & Final	Lajwanti Bhabhi
2009	Antaheen	Pishima Chowdhury	Bengali
	8 x 10 Tasveer	Savitri Puri	Hindi
	Morning Walk	Neelima
	Samaantar	Shama Vaze	Marathi
2010	Break Ke Baad	Ayesha Khan	Hindi
2023	Gulmohar	Kusum Batra
2024	OutHouse	Aadima	Marathi
TBA	Puratawn	TBA	Bengali	Completed

Television

Music video

Accolades

Tagore receiving Padma Bhushan from President, Pranab Mukherjee

Civilian award

Film awards

Other awards

Honours and recognitions

• 1999 - Honoured by the French government with the Insignes de Commandeur de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
• 2012 - Honoured by the Edinburgh University with a Honorary Doctorate of Arts, for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

See also

In Spanish: Sharmila Tagore para niños