Sharmila Tagore

Sharmila Tagore, (born 8 December 1944) also known by her married name as Begum Ayesha Sultana is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali films. Regarded among the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, Tagore is a recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to Hindi cinema. In 2013, the Government of India, honoured her with Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour for her contributions to Indian culture through performing arts.

Born into the prominent Tagore family, one of the leading families of Calcutta and a key influence during the Bengali Renaissance, Tagore made her acting debut at age 14 with Satyajit Ray's acclaimed Bengali epic drama ''The World of Apu'' (1959). She went on to collaborate with Ray on numerous other films, including ''Devi'' (1960), ''Nayak'' (1966), ''Aranyer Din Ratri'' (1970), and ''Seemabaddha'' (1971); thus establishing herself as one of the most prominent figures in Bengali cinema.

Tagore's career further expanded when she ventured into Hindi films with Shakti Samanta's romance ''Kashmir Ki Kali'' (1964). She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema with films like ''Waqt'' (1965), ''Anupama'' (1966), ''An Evening in Paris'' (1967), ''Aamne Saamne'' (1967), ''Satyakam'' (1969), ''Aradhana'' (1969), ''Safar'' (1970), ''Amar Prem'' (1972), ''Daag'' (1973), ''Avishkaar'' (1974), ''Chupke Chupke'' (1975), ''Mausam'' (1975), and ''Namkeen'' (1982). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for ''Aradhana'' and the National Film Award for Best Actress for ''Mausam''. This was followed by intermittent film appearances in the subsequent decades, including in Mira Nair's ''Mississippi Masala'' (1991) and Goutam Ghose's ''Abar Aranye'' (2002), which won her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, and in the Hindi films ''Aashik Awara'' (1993), ''Mann'' (1999), ''Viruddh'' (2005), ''Eklavya: The Royal Guard'' (2007), and ''Break Ke Baad'' (2010). Following a hiatus of 13 years, she made her film comeback with the drama ''Gulmohar'' (2023).

Apart from acting, Tagore has also served as the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification from October 2004 to March 2011. In December 2005, she was chosen as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She was married to cricketer and the Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, with whom she had three children—actors Saif and Soha, and jewellery designer Saba. Provided by Wikipedia