KWK 8: Sharmila Tagore Talks About The Backlash She Got After Her Iconic Bikini Shoot

One actress who was well ahead of her time was Sharmila Tagore. She never felt guilty about the decisions she made in life. Her bikini cover, which sparked debate even in the parliament, made her the talk of the town in the 1960s.

Here's what the actress has to say about the intense criticism and debate that her swimsuit photo caused.

Filmfare

The first actress to appear on the cover of Filmfare magazine in a bikini was Tagore back in 1966. An Evening in Paris, released in 1967, had sequences in which she wore a swimsuit. Director Shakti Samanta's romantic thriller also included Shammi Kapoor and Pran in key parts.

She recalled, ¡°The photographer was slightly worried. I just thought I looked very nice. It really hurt me later because everybody interpreted it in such a way that I was upwardly mobile; I was trying to catch eyeballs. I didn¡¯t feel like that. When it came out in Filmfare, I was in London and unaware till Shakti (Samanta) ji called me and said, ¡®Will you come back quickly? There are terrible things happening here.'¡±

Hotstar

Sharmila Tagore added, ¡°Questions were asked in the parliament.¡±

She went on to add, ¡°I used to live alone, and I was very upset with all this. It was completely the opposite of what I thought would happen. So I sent a Telegram to Tiger, and he said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re looking very nice. So that was my support.¡±

When Saif Ali Khan discovered that his mother's bikini appearance was being discussed in parliament, he was taken aback. He said, ¡°What were the questions? (laughing) I wonder.¡±

She added, ¡°It was not pleasant for me. After that, I was very careful, and I chose Aradhana.¡±

Hotstar

What Is Aradhana About?

Aradhana, a 1969 Indian Hindi love drama film, stars Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore and was directed by Shakti Samanta. At the 17th Filmfare Awards, it took home the Best Film prize. It was Tagore's only Filmfare Best Actress win.Aradhana's enormous popularity resulted in two remakes: the Telugu film Kannavari Kalalu (1974) and the Tamil film Sivagamiyin Selvan (1974). Aradhana was first released in Hindi and dubbed in Bengali.

You can watch Koffee With Karan 8 on Disney+Hotstar.