Pataudi had no regrets

Sharmila Tagore with Sourav Ganguly at the book launch in Kolkata.

Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore feels her late husband and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi did not have any regrets in life as he was used to losses from an early age.

"I think he didn't have any regrets. He lost a lot of things very early in life - his father at the age of 11, his eye when he was 20. So I think he was used to losses. He didn't dwell on these things at all and moved on with his life," said Tagore while releasing a book on Pataudi titled Pataudi: Nawab of Cricket at the Kolkata Literary Meet here Saturday.

According to Tagore, Pataudi's spirit of "courage under fire" held him together in trying times.
"The grace and courage under fire quality that he had took care of him dealing with life," said Tagore.
One of the trying times according to Tagore was when Pataudi lost his captaincy in 1970.
"Saif (Ali Khan - the couple's son) came on the scene the same year and that took away a lot of hurt. He did build the team but he wasn't there when the matches were being won," said Tagore.
The National award winner also divulged that Pataudi did not pen an autobiography as he felt unless he could speak the truth there was no point in writing.
"He used to say if I cannot speak the truth what was the point of writing," said Tagore.