Koffee With Karan 8: Sharmila Tagore rejected role in Karan Johar's 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani', reveals she battled cancer

Sharmila Tagore

For the first time ever, mother-son duo Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan came together for an interview. Sharmila made her debut on Karan Johar's chat show Koffee With Karan 8 along with her son Saif. The mother-son duo shared several anecdotes from their personal lives. During the episode, host Karan Johar revealed that he had offered Sharmila Tagore a role in his recent film 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani' which was eventually played by Shabana Azmi. Sharmila revealed why she rejected the film and during the conversation revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer.

Talking about the offer he had made, Karan Johar told Saif Ali Khan and Sharmila Tagore, "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." Sharmila came out of her self-imposed break from acting this year with the film 'Gulmohar' where she played a queer character.

Responding to Karan, the veteran 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." This is the first time Sharmila mentioned her battle with cancer."

Meanwhile, on the show, Tagore also recalled Saif marrying Amrita Singh without informing anyone. "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."