Love is unpredictable, especially in the glamorous world of showbiz. Shatrughan Singh, a leading actor of the 70s and 80s, had two controversial love affairs with Poonam Chandiramani and Reena Roy. His relationship with Reena was particularly famous. Despite the twists and turns of love, Shatrughan Sinha married Poonam, while Reena Roy married Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan.
Why Did Shatrughan Sinha Not Marry Reena Roy?
Reflecting on the past in an interview with the Bollywood magazine 'Stardust,' the 'Naseeb' actor was asked if he was still in love with Reena when he married Poonam. He responded candidly.
Shatrughan Sinha said, “My strongest emotion at that time was fear. I was very scared. I was happy being a bachelor, but I had reached a point where I was compelled to make the decision. Till the last moment, I wanted to back out. The wedding was in Bombay, and I was in London. I caught the last flight which just about brought me in time for the wedding. Poonam was in a state - she thought I was backing out. Poonam has been good to me. If there are any flaws in this marriage, then the drawbacks are mine, not hers."
Even after moving on with Poonam, Shatrughan Sinha remained very close to Reena Roy. In a past interview, he was asked why he didn't allow her the space to move on. Shatrughan responded with a question of his own: "What makes you think I didn’t give Reena the breathing space? But if Miss Reena Roy cares only for Mr. Shatrughan Sinha, why should anybody else have any objections? She and her family seek me for companionship, guidance, and advice. Just because I am married, does it mean I should ignore them and cast them aside?"
Shatrughan emphasised that his marriage to Poonam didn’t mean he had to completely cut ties with Reena and her family. He felt that just because he was married, it didn’t mean he should abandon the people who sought his support and friendship.
Responding to why he didn’t marry her despite being in love, Shatrughan Sinha said, "Marriage is not and has never been the solution to a problem. In fact, marriage brings about fresh problems. I meet Reena openly. We are working on many films together, including Maati Mange Khoon, Kali Basti and Dharam Shatru. Recently, I met her at a party and the media wrote about it. It was not our first public appearance together, but the press caught us. They mentioned that I didn't get my wife along for the party because of Reena. That's stupid. I did not think that it was right to take Poonam along because the media would have made a huge tamasha out of it. And the three of us would have been guinea pigs for the photographers! I am not quite sure where all this is going to lead up to. It is not the society which is preventing me from making a decision. I just need time to make up my mind about what I want to do. I'm strong but not strong enough. I'm bold but not bold enough."
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