I became a social suspect: Sharmila Tagore

Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore opened up about the judgement that she faced early in her career, as an independent single woman in a film industry accustomed to demure girls. She said that she was aware of her family history and that gave her confidence. But she said that she was branded a ‘bad girl’ because she didn’t conform to the norms of society at the time. Sharmila Tagore appeared on the latest edition of ‘Screen Live’ and said that the perception of her changed once she married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and became entirely different when she had children.

“When I joined films, working in films was deeply frowned upon. Therefore, the film industry also withdrew. They had their own little club. They also stayed away from society because it was very judgmental. The male actors were accepted, but the women were not respected,” she said.

She continued, “Even I felt, once upon a time, that I would be whistled at or I would get that kind of admiration. When you get married, there is a different kind of respect. And when you become a mother, then you’ve joined the collective. I remember going to Hyderabad and a car had to come to collect me. Within minutes a crowd gathered and people asked me if my son needed to be taken care of, they took me to another room and brought me a chair. It was a different kind of reception altogether.

She said that society has evolved greatly over the years, especially when it comes to attitudes regarding the film industry. She said that she once had mud slung at her by a mob, who also threatened to set the train she was travelling on fire, but things changed eventually.