Sharmila Tagore’s marriage to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was a ground-breaking relationship in India, challenging traditional standards of the period. The pair met and fell in love when Tagore was pursuing her acting profession. Despite protests and death threats, they remained committed to their romance and married. Tagore accepted Islam, taking the name Ayesha as a testament of her dedication to the relationship. In an interview with Simi Garewal, Tagore reflected on the difficulties they had throughout their romance, saying, “It wasn’t easy nor terribly tough. It needed to be confronted and understood. You couldn’t be that cavalier about it. Before that, I was not very religious. Now, I believe I understand more about Hinduism and Islam.
