Kunal Khemu’s first interaction with the veteran actress, Sharmila Tagore, was no ordinary one. The actor director just recently remembered the strange and quickly setting where he first met his wife Soha Ali Khan’s mother, and recalled a tale involving a film set, A bathrobe and an unpleasantly intense discussion. Talking to filmfare, Kunal reminisced about the warm family-like bond that he developed with Sharmila after a very awkward first meeting.
Interestingly, Kunal’s official meeting with Sharmila came after he had met her earlier as Soha’s boyfriend. Their first meeting was at the sets of 99, shooting at a hotel. As he was dressed in a bathrobe for his costume, he remembered feeling very awkward when he realised that Sharmila was approaching. He said that he couldn’t change at the time and had to walk up to the famous actress in costume as well. Previously, it was also reported that the bathrobe was white and Kunal was wearing shorts with it.
The actual nerves, however, were when they met again at home. Kunal remembered Sharmila was reading a magazine as she asked him about his career and background. He remembered that he was more and more uneasy and that it took about 15 minutes before he could make any eye contact. He playfully likened this to an interview and thought that he would be “hired.” Kunal also confessed to being constantly looking at Soha for some form of reassurance if the situation is normal or not.
Even though it was a bit awkward, Kunal said that Sharmila started to get used to him. He remembered another funny occasion which was when she had to meet his eye as he opened the car door for her to get in. Later, their relationship became more intimate when they were both in London. On a personal level, Kunal said that both he and Sharmila love cooking, and their interest got them closer together.
Kunal recalled that he had seen Sharmila chopping or preparing gobi, while he was chopping onions and preparing dal. They discussed what they were cooking and decided to make the food together. Kunal said that that was a key bonding time for them as they learned how to cook together. He added that from then on they became great and laughed saying that Sharmila doesn’t look away now.
In the end, Kunal and Soha Ali Khan tied the knot in 2015, and their union was also a family of its own, with Kunal being closer to Sharmila Tagore. It started out with an awkward bathrobe situation and a nervous “job interview” feeling, but ended up in a much warmer relationship. Kunal’s memory is funny in many ways and it is a wonderful way to see how an ordinary shared interest—cooking—helped to break the ice when it comes to his relationship with his mother-in-law.
