Shatrughan gets candid about 'baharwali'

KOLKATA: Known for his candid remarks, Indian actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has not shied away from talking about his extramarital affair in his biography.

“The book has the summary of my life from how I left home to study films at Pune, the struggle in film industry, and then the girls who came into my life — gharwali (wife) came and then baharwali,” Sinha told PTI in an interview here.

He is in Kolkata to participate in Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF). His book Anything But Khamosh: The Shatrughan Sinha Biography by Bharathi S Pradhan captures the 70-year-old’s life in an honest and unflattering manner.

One of the chapters in the book has Shotgun talking about his off-screen intimacy with co-actor Reena Roy and how the relationship continued for sometime even after his marriage with Poonam.

When asked to comment on the need to be candid enough in the book, the BJP MP said had he not been honest in the book, it would not have made such an interesting and gripping tale. “I have done that without hurting anybody’s dignity. There is no vulgarity or voyeurism in the book. I haven’t mentioned about many girls in my life. They are settled, have children. It’s not the right thing to identify them,” Sinha said.

The book, released this month, also has comments from his detractors. Sinha said, “Grey areas must be covered. If you don’t do that then it becomes sycophancy. If I wanted I could edit comments by people who spoke against me but I didn’t. It’s a democracy so let them say whatever they have to say.”