Sharmila Tagore Reflects On Iconic Filmfare Bikini Cover: “It Was Actually My Idea”
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 …
