In the recent episode of 'Koffee with Karan' Season 8, the mother-son duo Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan graced the hot couch. Their appearance was marked by intriguing revelations and hilarious family secrets. In one of the segments, the veteran actress shared a startling disclosure.
During the episode, the host Karan Johar revealed he had initially offered Sharmila Tagore the role now played by Shabana Azmi in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.' Karan said, “I had offered Sharmila ji the part played by Shabana Azmi in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.' She was my very first choice. Due to health reasons at that time, she couldn’t say yes, but it is a regret I have."
Discussing the opportunity and why she didn't take up the offer, the actress said, “This is at the height of Covid. They hadn’t really grappled with Covid at that time. They didn’t know the vaccine… We were not vaccinated. You know, after my cancer. So, they didn’t want me to take that risk.” Sharmila discussed her battle with cancer openly for the first time but chose not to delve into details about her experience.
Meanwhile, the shooting for 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' was done during the pandemic. Although Sharmila couldn’t be a part of the film due to unfortunate circumstances, she met Shabana Azmi when they were shooting in Delhi.
Sharmila Tagore has made significant contributions to Hindi as well as Bengali cinema. Her return to the screens was marked by the release of the film 'Gulmohar' on Disney+ Hotstar.
