First love, in all its ecstasy

Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan

In a departure from its usual controversies, the eighth season of Koffee with Karan is turning out to be a treasure trove of unheard personal stories. Sharmila Tagore and actor-son Saif Ali Khan have graced the latest episode of Karan Johar's chat show. In the Disney+ Hotstar offering, the veteran actor revealed details about how Khan and his ex-wife Amrita Singh got married without informing anybody.

Amrita Singh

Tagore recalled, "I was visiting Mumbai. Saif met me and said, ‘I have something to tell you,' and then he told me. I was [initially] quiet and then said, ‘Okay, we will talk about it later.' After he left, I rang Tiger [Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi], told him and there was a long silence." The veteran actor added that when they met Singh, they took an instant liking to her.

Grateful that his parents were ‘supportive', Khan said, "I was 20 years old, ran off and got married without telling anyone. It's not a nice thing to do to your parents." While Khan and Singh went their separate ways after 13 years of marriage, Tagore remembered those times as ones filled with laughter. "When they talked, there was a lot of laughter, a lot of mimicking other people. He is good at mimicry and she is a great storyteller. So, they looked very happy together."