Sharmila Tagore recently revisited one of the most defining and unconventional moments of her career during an appearance at We The Women. The veteran actress looked back at her iconic Filmfare bikini cover, an image that remains etched in the history of Indian pop culture.

While the cover sparked a nationwide conversation, Sharmila clarified that the decision to pose in a bikini was entirely her own, dismissing long-standing rumours that it was a calculated move for publicity. She shared during the session, “It was actually my idea. The photographer, Dheeraj Chawla, wanted to do a photoshoot, and I suggested, ‘Why not a bikini?’ It was entirely my decision, and I can’t put it on anybody else. I simply thought it would look nice.”

However, the public response to the cover was far from what she had expected. She described the subsequent outrage as unbelievable, mentioning that it was “almost like a ‘bikini bomb.'” Many people at the time assumed the choice was a cynical publicity stunt, a claim Sharmila firmly denied. She explained, “People assumed I had planned it as a publicity stunt to grab attention and achieve commercial success, but that was never my intention.”

The fallout even reached her professional circle. She recalled approaching filmmaker Shakti Samanta during the height of the controversy, feeling discouraged by the public reaction. She shared, “I remember going to Shakti Samanta feeling quite crestfallen. He gave me a long lecture about how actresses should behave if they wanted to be taken seriously. I listened to everything he said, but I didn’t really change anything.”

Despite the pressure, Sharmila remained firm in her perspective. While acknowledging the importance of timing in the industry, she said, “You learn from your mistakes, but I don’t regret doing it.” A vital source of comfort during that challenging time was her husband, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. She shared that she reached out to him via telegram while he was in London for cricket. His reaction provided the support she needed: “His reply was, ‘You must be looking nice.’ That meant a lot to me. He’s always been incredibly supportive, and when I look back at that cover today, I’m completely okay with it.”

Also Read: Sara Ali Khan, Sharmila Tagore And Amrita Singh Watch A Play Together

More than a decade after Baahubali: The Beginning redefined Indian cinema, a revelation is breaking the internet. The Netflix documentary series, Baahubali: The Torchbearer, premiered on June 26. In the series, the core team talked about their emotional, anxious states on the day of the movie’s release in July 2015. SS Rajamouli, Prabhas, Rama Rajamouli, and SS Karthikeya (Rajamouli’s son) admitted they deeply feared a total rout of the film on its opening day.

The film was made on a huge scale by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni. No one knew if a regional Telugu film could actually bridge national markets back in 2015. On the morning of July 10 that year, anxiety ruled the camp. They genuinely believed everything might crumble. As Karthikeya, who is also co-producing Varanasi, said, the entire Twitter timeline was calling the movie a disaster. “I was crying while scrolling the tweets,” he added.

Initial fears vs. iconic shift

Today, this vulnerability is taking social media users by surprise. Fans, particularly those who are not aware that the Telugu States didn’t receive the epic action drama positively on its opening day, are stunned by the contrast between those initial fears and the historic reality. The franchise eventually birthed the pan-India phenomenon.

Team Baahubali commands respect

Netizens are flooding X and Instagram with emotional messages. One fan wrote that the revelation gives a whole new level of respect to the team. “It’s shocking to learn that the feedback from the ground was that negative in AP and Telangana. I used to believe it was mixed at best. I didn’t know that the reviews in Telugu were unanimously negative, so much so, Rajamouli was inquiring with a distributor as to how the second part could be bailed out,” a fan wrote. Rajamouli’s wife admitted that she was mulling over selling her land in Manikonda, Hyderabad, to make good the losses of the producers, in case the film didn’t click at the box office.

Baahubali: The Conclusion was released two years later. It amassed much bigger figures than the first part.

Also Read: Baahubali: The Eternal War Selected for Cannes of Animation; Prabhas Calls It ‘something special’

Director Nandini Reddy has shared an interesting story from the sets of Maa Inti Bangaram. While shooting for the wedding song Thassadiya, Samantha appeared quite weak. Nandini Reddy assumed the actress was down with a fever. The director only learned the true reason the next day when Samantha revealed she was pregnant. She had been dealing with morning sickness, which the filmmaker knew nothing about during the shoot.

Later, speculation about the pregnancy started right after the film was released on June 19. Fans spotted a tiny baby bump on the actress. Days later, Samantha officially confirmed the news. She announced she would be taking a maternity leave.

The greatest gift

Speaking at an event to celebrate the film’s box office success in Vizag, Samantha revealed that it was her husband who pushed her to do this ‘one film.’ She had been undergoing doubts. “It feels like a dream. In the last three years, I was homebound for 2 years, battling a health crisis. I thank the audience for the greatest gift. You have embraced Maa Inti Bangaram like your own. You have my whole heart! The number of women in theatres, the number of grannies and kids watching our movie in cinemas, whistling, enjoying… the feeling is indescribable,” Samantha added.

MIB to have a sequel

Meanwhile, her husband and film writer Raj Nidimoru announced a sequel to the film on Friday. He stated that they are already planning the next chapter. He noted that the story naturally lends itself to a continuation. He promised that the upcoming script will bring even more high-octane action. Its release is expected in 2028.

Maa Inti Bangaram has turned out to be a clear commercial success. The film successfully subverts standard commercial templates by placing a woman in a heavy action role.

Also Read: Maa Inti Bangaaram Box Office: This Is How Much Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Film Collected