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party in 1965. Pataudi’s western demeanour and and impending marriage to a bitter Rajesh Khanna,
suave debonair style, Tagore’s sheer beauty and
glamour, and their combined unconventional and
liberal outlook in life led them together down the
aisle (1969) after they dated a few years. It was not a
match approved of by their families initially, and as
viewed by naysayers, it was predicted to see doom
very soon. But the stylish couple put paid to all their
detractors, had a beautiful loving relationship, and
a solid marriage that weathered three kids and four
plus decades, only ending with the passing of Tiger
Pataudi in 2011. It did turn out to be a match made
in Heaven!
Hitting a six on ANJU MAHENDRU & GARFIELD SOBERS
the silver screen
1966: Way back in the sixties, Sir Garfield Sobers,
the West Indian cricketer already on his way to
being a legend, fell in love with a young actress
called Anju Mahendru, who was an avid cricket
aficionada. Rumouredly, she was not even out of
her teens when he swept her off her feet. The West
Indies were in India to play a match with the Indian
Cricket team, only this one happened off-field. Anju
Mahendru was in a tumultous live-in relationship
with Rajesh Khanna, who was only just being
acknowledged as a superstar. Whilst there are
rumours that Sobers and Anju were engaged,
and even married, the truth was possibly that the
relationship with Garfield Sobers gave her a respite
from Khanna. Old stories state that Anju denied
being in love with Sobers. Whatever it was, that
brought to an ill-fated end to Anju’s engagement
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who never forgave her for jilting him for another,
even though Anju and Sobers were never publicly
married. Distance and professional circumstance
prevented the blossoming of a permanent
relationship and that affair died a slow death, as did
Anju’s relationship with Khanna too.
PARVEEN BABI & SALIM DURRANI
1973: The first ever cricketer to win the Arjuna
Award, the outstanding player Salim Durrani, was
a stunningly good-looking man, setting many a
female heart racing with his charisma and style.
Salim’s family, originally from Afghanistan, had
moved to India during Partition, and settled
in Junagadh. When almost in his forties, the
handsome Salim had a fling with films and played
leading man in the classic BR Ishara film Charitra,
in 1973, which also starred the chic and beautiful
Parveen Babi, serendipitously also from Junagadh.
Rumour mills had the dashing lead couple
immediately linked in an affair. Salim Durrani
went blue in the face denying it, and has always
maintained that there was never one, then or ever,
except media-fanned. The film sank, and so did the
stories of their non-existent affair.
ZEENAT AMAN & IMRAN KHAN
1978: World Cricket’s handsomest ever player, on
and off the field, remains the one-time captain of
the Pakistan Cricket team Imran Khan. Creating
quite a delirious stir wherever he went with his
rakish charm and polished gallantry, Imran khan
left behind him a wake of broken-hearted women
SENIORS TODAY | Issue #9 | March 15, 2020