Bhopal, September 23: The funeral procession of late former Indian cricket captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi began from his home here with sobbing family members, friends and several celebrities paying their last respects before his burial which will be held on Friday in Pataudi.
The former captain, who would forever be remembered for leading India to their maiden Test series triumph abroad, died on Thursday due to a lung infection at the age of 70.
His body was brought to his Vasant Vihar residence here early this morning and the last rites will be performed at his native Pataudi village.
Pataudi’s wife and yesteryear actor Sharmila Tagore, his actor son Saif Ali Khan and his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, and many other celebrities were at the Pataudi residence when his body was taken to his native village at around 10.30 hrs this morning.
Among those who came to pay their last respects were Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik with his wife, former cricketers Kapil Dev and Ajay Jadeja, and Punjab Cricket Association chief I S Bindra.
Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, and BJP leader Arun Jaitley also paid their respects to Pataudi, who led India in 40 of the 46 Test matches he played and was fondly called ’Tiger’.
Pataudi’s body was taken in an ambulance and his family members offered Friday prayers before the procession began.
The former cricketer’s daughter Soha Ali Khan, a Bollywood actor, was inconsolable while Kareena was also seen crying as the body was taken out.
Hundreds had gathered outside the Pataudi residence including numerous mediapersons, who even got into an argument with the policemen over the coverage.
Former Haryana Chief Minister O P Chautala also came to pay his respects but the procession had left for Pataudi by that time.
Untold story of Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore :
In our flagrantly biased and unchangeably prejudiced opinion, Simi Garewal’s recent Rendezvous with Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore has been one of the best on the programme so far. Not due to Simi (who will remain Simi from then to now to eternity – how old or young is she anyway?)… but because of SharmiIa and Pat.
Pause a moment to flashback over some of the other couples who’ve graced Rendezvous, from the giggly Sushmita Sen… to an ill-at-ease Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan… even the usually dignified Shobha De amazed us by doing ghus-phus with Simi from behind Dilip De’s head.
Sharmila and Pataudi were gracious, natural, straightforward and class with a capital C. But this little story is not about that. It is about the programme hostess herself It is a delight to watch Simi bring one rare couple after another and pass them over burning coals; but in this particular episode, Simi seems to have forgotten to mention her own little real life rendezvous with Pataudi.
Once upon a time, long before Sharmila came on the scene, Simi and Pataudi were a number. He was nuts and bolts over her; with her class and style, she fitted to a tee (or should that be wicket?) his ideal of a perfect begum and the cricketing circle was waiting for him to name the date of their wedding. But just then, fate came a knockin’ and Pataudi and Sharmila met. Lightning struck. They were made for each other, everybody could see that. Simi included. She had no objections, there were enough of young men trailing her and she was certainly not going to lose sleep over one dropout.
So imagine how surprised she was when one evening her doorbell rang and the butler led in a sheepish looking Mansur (Simi always called him Mansur, never Pataudi or Pat). He hammed (!) and hawed a bit, refused the cool lemonade she offered and then finally he burst out with it, “I’m sorry but I want to make it clear it is over between us; I’ve met someone else.” Simi did not dignify his confession with absolution, she changed the conversation and offered him some more lemonade. He refused and said he had to go, and literally rushed out, telling Simi insistently that there was no need for her to see him to the elevator. But Simi’s ‘propah’ upbringing wouldn’t allow that, and she went out with him, despite all his no-no-no.
That’s how Simi saw what she did – Sharmila curled up on the steps near her elevator. Poor Pat. He put all his energies into pressing the elevator button frantically. The two women looked at each other long and hard, Simi with her raised eyebrows, Sharmila with her dimple. Not a word was said. None was needed. The elevator had arrived.