Sharmila Tagore led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 to March 2011. In December 2005 she was chosen as the Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF. She was one of the International Competition’s jury Member at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival in 2013. She has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification taking over the position from Anupam Kher .
Sharmila Tagore was born in Hyderabad . Her father was a Bengali General Manager of the British India Corporation and her mother was an Assamese. Both were distantly related to Rabindranath Tagore. Her father was the grandson of the famous painter Gaganendranath Tagore.
Sharmila Tagore attended the St. John’s Diocesan Girls Higher Secondary School and Loreto Convent in Asansol. She made her debut in the films at the age of 13 and as a school girl she was asked to take up a choice either complete her education or quit from school to pursue her studies since could not concentrate on both. Her parents advised her to move on in life with a film career and give it her best shot and till date she is grateful to her father for supporting her decision to join filmline in which she got her due fame . Sharmila Tagore married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the Nawab of Pataudi and the former Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. In a Nikah ceremony held on the 27th December 1969, she converted herself to Islam and took on the Name of Ayesha Sultana. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi died in 2011. Her son Saif Ali Khan is a well known and established actor married to Kareena Kapoor in his second marriage. He has two children with his first marriage to Amrita Singh. Her daughters Soha Ali is a Bollywood Actress and a Television Personality while Saba Ali is a jewellery designer.
Sharmila Tagore began her film career in Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film Apur Sansar in 1959. After a break of a few years she appeared in Shakti Samanta’s Kashmir Ki Kali in 1964 followed by her film An Evening in Paris in 1967. In which she is sporting a swim suit , rather a bikiny And she became an established actress thereafter and also considered as a sex symbol in Hindi films. She posed in a Filmfare magazine of 1968 in a bikiny too. In 1969 she teamed up with Rajesh Khanna the superstar of the Hindi cinema for the film Aradhana which was a blockbuster film and till date is very popular for its catchy songs that became a super hit too. Their pair had onscreen chemistry and she went on to do many more films with Rajesh Khanna during her tenure in the film line. In 1970, she acted in Safar, followed by Amar Prem in 1972 along with another film Maalik and Daag in 1973 all with Rajesh Khanna. The Rajesh Khanna- Sharmila Tagore pair had 7 Box office hits. Chhoti Bahu, also did very well at the Box Office besides the film Avishkaar. Her films with Rajesh Khanna would have grossed over 100 crores if considered as an inflation of 2014. She starred with Sanjeev Kumar in a double role for the film Mausam. And won the National Film Award for Best Actress. She also played the supporting role in Mira Nair’s 1991 Film Mississippi Masala In 1966 she had starred in the films Devar, Anupama. In 1968 she acted in the film Mere Hamdam Mere Dost followed by her film Satyakam in 1969 and Yakeen. In 1975 with Dharmendra and Amitab Bachchan she acted in the film Chupke Chupke which again was a super hit a simple story with great songs to remember . In 1975 she acted in the thriller romantic film Faraar with Amitab Bachchan and Besharam in 1979 and a Bengali film Mangaldeep with Naseeruddin Shah in 1991.
| # | Released Date | Type | Credited As | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 May 2023 | Film | Supporting Actress | BIRD OF DUSK |
| 2 | 03 Mar 2023 | Film | Supporting Actress | Gulmohar |
| 3 | 26 Sep 2010 | Film | Supporting Actress | Break Ke Baad |
| 4 | 04 Sep 2009 | Film | Actress | Samaantar |
| 5 | 19 Jun 2009 | Film | Supporting Actress | Nirjan Saikate |
| 6 | 03 Apr 2009 | Film | Supporting Actress | 8X10 Tasveer |
| 7 | 23 Jan 2009 | Film | Supporting Actress | Antaheen |
| 8 | 01 Jan 2009 | Film | Actress | Morning Walk |
| 9 | 01 Jun 2007 | Film | Supporting Actress | Fool N Final |
| 10 | 16 Feb 2007 | Film | Supporting Actress | Eklavya The Royal Guard |
