With the inauguration of the Indian Premier League, cricket merged with the glamour and the razzmatazz of Bollywood.
With the inauguration of the Indian Premier League, cricket merged with the glamour and the razzmatazz of Bollywood.
The IPL not just had some of the best cricketers of the world playing together, but also saw some of the biggest Bollywood stars cheering for them from the stands.
However, long before IPL, there has always been a connection between Bollywood and cricket especially because of the numerous cases of cricketers being linked to Bollywood actresses. Even today, a host our talented cricketers are linked with actresses from the B-town.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the most discussed and talked about love stories between Bollywood actresses and cricketers.
Sharmila Tagore and Tiger Pataudi Sharmila
Sharmila Tagore was the eternal beauty who starred in many hit films like ‘Aradhana’, ‘Amar Prem’, ‘Daag’ and ‘Safar’ got hitched to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi at the peak of her film career. Apart from being the ‘Nawab of Pataudi’, Tiger (as he is fondly known as) was also the captain of the Indian cricket team. The duo has 3 children out of which Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan have followed the footsteps of their mother choosing acting as a career. But sadly, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi passed away in 2011 due to a lung failure.
Reena Roy and Mohsin Khan
Unlike the previous couple, Sharmila Tagore and Tiger Pataudi, Reena Roy’s romance with Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan didn’t really have a happy ending. Reena, who starred in hit films like ‘Nagin’, ‘Kalicharan’, ‘Jaani Dushman’ and ‘Naseeb’, gave up her budding career to marry the Pakistani player in 1983. But sadly, the failure of Mohsin’s filming career coupled with his family and social circle not accepting Reena Roy, led to their break-up and a bitter divorce. The duo has a daughter who lives in Mumbai with Reena.
Sangeeta Bijlani and Mohammad Azharuddin
Another couple that brought together an actress with a cricketer was that of Sangeeta and Azharuddin. Their romance is amongst the most widely discussed love stories between a cricketer and a Bollywood actress. Former Miss India pageant, Sangeeta Bijlani, also tried her hands in Bollywood. But sadly, success did not give her a lift but she did remain in the headlines thanks to her much talked about affair with former Indian cricket skipper Mohammed Azharuddin. On the current front, the couple are now divorced.
Neena Gupta and Vivian Richards
While there have been quite a few Bollywood actresses who’ve had an affair with cricketers from the sub-continent; former Indian actress Neena Gupta went a tip above when she got into a relationship with former West Indies skipper Sir Viv Richards of the West Indies. Even though Neena and Vivian didn’t tie the knot, they were in a serious relationship for a brief period and even have a daughter Masaba who is a famous fashion designer.
Ravi Shastri and Amrita Singh
This was never a ‘match made in heaven’ but when flamboyant cricketer Ravi Shastri first met Amrita Singh, sparks flew. Back then, Ravi with his innovative stroke play and handsome looks was already a hit amongst the ladies while Amrita was slowly finding her foothold in the film industry during the late 80’s. However, their romance too was short lived. In late 1990, Ravi married Ritu Singh, while a few years later Amrita married a much younger Saif Ali Khan. Unfortunately, Amrita’s and Chote Nawab’s marriage ended in a divorce.
Nagma and Sourav Ganguly
Bollywood actress Nagma and former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s relationship grabbed alot of eyeballs. Sourav was married to Dona and maintained that there was nothing between the duo but Nagma spoke publicly about the affair. However, as the media speculation began to take a toll on Sourav’s flourishing career, ‘Dada’ decided to end all ties with the actress.
Not to forget, our dashing cricketer Virat Kohli is also in a relationship with actress Anushka Sharma whereas Suresh Raina is dating South star, Shruti Hassan.
The above relationships show that nothing is perfect!
These pairings are like a cricket match, sometimes you win or you lose.
