Sharmila Tagore was married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (popularly known as Tiger Pataudi) lived for 43 years before his death in 2011. Their interfaith marriage in 1968 created a huge stir as it was not so common at that time. So much so that Tagore’s parents received death threats and many warned him against his decision. In an interview, the ‘Aradhana’ actress opened up about her marriage to Tiger Pataudi and revealed that they lived together before marriage. She said in an interview with Barkha Dutt, “We used to live together before marriage because it was more convenient. Tiger would often go to the Cricket Club of India for a shower because I was a terrible housekeeper. Nothing worked properly at home.”Smiling at the memory, Sharmila admits that running a household was not her forte back then. “I was a terrible housekeeper. I’ve learned over the years. Now I’m so proud.”At a time when interfaith marriages were much less acceptable, Sharmila and Tiger’s relationship became the subject of much public discussion. Although the couple was busy with their careers, she recalled that it was their family that faced the most pressure. “We didn’t really feel it because I was working and Tiger was playing cricket. But my parents and Tiger’s mother felt the pressure because a lot was being said. The media did not give our marriage more than 15 months. They predicted it would be a disaster.”Sharmila also remembers the filmmaker Yash Chopra Expressing anxiety before marriage. “Yash Chopra told me, ‘These nawabs are very suspicious people, so you have to be very careful.’ He was a good friend and genuinely concerned.”He also revealed that the family even received death threats before the event. “My parents got the telegram, ‘The bullet will talk.’ They decided to organize the wedding in Fort William as they thought it would be the safest place. There were some issues with the guest list and permission was revoked. We had to quickly shift the wedding to an ambassador’s residence,” said the actress. Sharmila had earlier spoken about these threats in an interview Twinkle Khanna for Tweak IndiaRemembering how the telegram warning “bullets will talk” was sent because she was marrying a Muslim man. Despite the odds surrounding the wedding, the ceremony was completed peacefully without any untoward incident.Reflecting on married life, Sharmila said her biggest lessons in life came from simply watching how Tiger conducted himself.“I was quite moody that day, but I learned a lot from Tiger. He was a very kind person. He always said, ‘With dogs, with staff and with children, you never raise your voice.'”He added that Tiger didn’t try to change him through criticism. “He never scolded me or put me down. Just by being there, he taught me patience and understanding.”“Words can be very hurtful. Once said, you can’t take them back. You can be angry, you can disagree, but you shouldn’t say things that hurt each other because those words last forever,” he added.
