Sharmila Tagore was only 15 years old when Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar (The World Of Apu) released. With family in Bengali and Assamese literary traditions (she is distantly related to Tagore family and eminent Assamese literary figure Jnanadabhiram Barua), it would be safe to assume that interest in the arts and aesthetics would come naturally to her.

When Shakti Samanta’s Kashmir Ki Kali released in 1964, Sharmila, then only 20, became the toast of the nation. As a dimpled and doe-eyed beauty she was soon a much sought-after actor in the 1960s in Bollywood. From forming a popular pair with Shammi Kapoor, she went on to work in some of the most memorable Hindi films ever, with Rajesh Khanna. Aradhana, Amar Prem, Daag, Chhoti Bahu and Safar to name a few.

The thing with Sharmila was that while had a flourishing career as a leading Bollywood actor, she continued to work in Bengali and parallel films all along. Some of her memorable performances include films like Devi, Aranyer Din Ratri, Nayak (Satyajit Ray) and Abar Aranye (Gautam Ghose). The 1970s, middle-of-the-road cinema shone with the brilliance of directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Satyakam) and Gulzar (Mausam, Namkeen) and Sharmila did films with many of them.

Sharmila was ahead of her times as a married woman working as a leading lady in popular films. She got married in 1969, the same year Aradhana released. She went on to deliver hits like Safar (1970) and Amar Prem (1972) much after marriage and birth of Saif Ali Khan.

On her 74th birthday today, here’s a look at some of family pictures:

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi with his wife Sharmila Tagore at his Palace 'Flag Staff House' in Bhopal on Saturday. (PTI)

Sharmila Tagore with husband Masoor Ali Khan Pataudi. (HT Photos)

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First Published: Dec 08, 2018 08:09 IST