Saif Ali Khan and Sharmila Tagore graced the iconic Koffee couch on the latest episode of Koffee With Karan season 8. The charming mother-son duo shared some memorable anecdotes from their personal lives. From Saif's marriage with Amrita Singh to Sharmila Tagore's iconic 'Bikini shoot' from the '60s, the episode was full of revelations.
Here are five highlights from the episode:
Sharmila Tagore Opens Up About Her 60s Bikini Shoot
Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore opened up about her iconic bikini shoot from the '60s and how she was oblivious to its negative reception among people and the industry. Sharmila recalled:
"During the shoot, the photographer was slightly worried. I just thought I looked very nice. What really hurt me later was that everybody interpreted it in such a way that I was upwardly mobile, trying to catch eyeballs. I didn't feel like that."
"But when it came out in the magazine, I was in London, so I was unaware until Shakti ji (Shakti Samanta) called me and said, 'Will you come back quickly? There are terrible things happening here.' He gave me a dressing down, saying, 'If you want to be in the public eye, this is not the way to go.' I used to live alone, and I was very upset with all this, completely opposite of what I thought would happen. So I sent a telegram to Tiger, and he said, 'I'm sure you are looking very nice,'" she added.
Saif Ali Khan on His Marriage With Amrita Singh
During the episode, Karan Johar asked Saif about his spontaneous marriage with his former wife, Amrita Singh, at the age of 20. The director revealed how none of Saif's family members knew about the wedding and probed Sharmila's reaction.
In response, the veteran actor said, "Actually, I was visiting Mumbai for something, so Saif came to meet me and said, 'I've something to tell you.' And then he told me. I don't remember exactly what I was doing, but I was quiet, and he says, 'Amma, your colour is changing. You're looking different.' I said, 'We'll talk about it later.' After he left, I rang up Tiger (Saif's father). There was also a long silence on that part. Then we left it at that."
"The next day I called him and said, 'I'd like to meet her.' We had tea. We chatted. I liked her, but still, quite shocked," she added.
Talking about Sharmila's reaction to the wedding, Saif recalled how a "big tear" fell from his mother's eyes, and she said, "You have really hurt me."
Saif also opened up about his decision to get married and said:
"You know, it was kind of like running away from home, in a sense. There were so many things going on, and I found a kind of security and an idea that this is safe. And it feels great. I thought, you know, I could make a home out of that."
Sharmila Tagore Opted Out of 'Rocky Aur Ranii Ki Prem Kahaani'
During the conversation, Karan also spoke about his directorial venture, Rocky Aur Ranii Ki Prem Kahaani. The filmmaker revealed how Sharmila was his first choice for the role that was eventually portrayed by Shabana Azmi in the film. However, the collaboration didn't happen.
Explaining the situational circumstances, Sharmila said, "This is at the height of COVID. They hadn't really grappled with COVID at that time. They didn't know the vaccine... We were not vaccinated. You know, after my cancer. So, they didn't want me to take that risk."
Sharmila Tagore On Saif and Kareena Kapoor's Live-in Relationship
During the episode, Sharmila revealed that prior to their marriage, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor were in a live-in relationship. Recalling the first time she learned about their relationship, the actor added, "I had friends over, lots of people from Delhi. These two came and were sitting there. I casually said, 'What's happening?' She (Kareena) said, 'When Saif woke up in the morning, he told me this,' giving the impression that they are living together. This is Delhi, and these are my friends of my age."
Sharmila noted how times are changing. The actor shared that when she was living with her husband before their marriage, they would still not openly discuss it "in a room full of people."
Gulzar Was Saif Ali Khan's Guardian in Mumbai
Another interesting anecdote that Sharmila recalled during the show was that Saif used to stay at his guardian Gulzar's house in Mumbai after he acted in a hair commercial.
Recalling those days, Saif shared, "I stayed there for a couple of days, and then I went out. We were 20 or 19. Somebody said, 'Let's go out. Mumbai is so much fun and everything.' We came back a little late, or rather a little early in the morning. Gulzar Sahib was up. I was horrified to see it. He was in a crisp white Kurta pyjama, looking very fit and well, like he always does. Playing the sitar and doing riyaaz (practising). He was horrified to see me coming home at this time."
Saif further disclosed that Gulzar's daughter, Meghna Gulzar, had relocated from the house because he was going to stay there.
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