Shatrughan Sinha was with Reena Roy in London two days before he married Poonam Sinha: ‘Till the last moment, I wanted to back out’ | Hindi Movie News

Shatrughan Sinha married Poonam Sinha in 1980 but they had first met each other on a train journey in 1965 when she was still a school girl. In his biography, ‘Anything But Khamosh’, written by Bharathi S Pradhan, Sinha mentioned that he was called a ‘cradle-snatcher’ by his friends. Because, despite knowing how young she was, he confessed to having “romantic notions of touching her, giving her a hug, pulling her towards me.” Even a fleeting moment stayed with him vividly—he wrote that he “brushed against her foot and that was enough to give me a thrill and goosebumps.”The train ride stretched across two days, during which Shatrughan managed to win over Poonam’s aunt, who was her guardian. She even shared her home address with him. Years later, when Poonam won the ‘Miss Young India’ pageant in 1968, the actor was reminded of their brief but memorable meeting. At the time, beauty pageant winners were frequently offered film roles, and in a twist of fate, Poonam entered films before Shatrughan did. There was mutual affection, though not strong enough to turn into a relationship immediately. It was only when they worked together in ‘Dharti Ki God Mein’ in 1971 that they spent real time together and that’s when their bond deepened.As Shatrughan’s career gathered momentum, success followed success. With fame came attention, especially from women, and he admitted he struggled to turn it down. Poonam’s aunt was aware of this, and years later, Shatrughan acknowledged it openly. “To an extent, there was some truth to the stories,” he said. Despite his other involvements, he continued his relationship with Poonam for a few years before ending it in 1973, feeling she was “too good” for him. Around this period, Poonam also stepped away from what could have been a promising career in entertainment.Explaining his decision in the book, Shatrughan said, “I told her simply that she was too good for me, she deserved better, to please leave me alone. In every area, she was just perfect. Everything she did was to please me. She moulded her whole life to suit me. I couldn’t believe this sort of dedication.” The two remained separated for three years.As they broke up, it was during this time that Sinha got involved with his ‘Kalicharan’ co-star Reena Roy. As his grew closer to Reena, Poonam also re-entered his life. Talking about that period, Sinha had said, “My problem was not whom to marry but whom not to marry,” adding that he was in several “steady relationships” simultaneously.Following strong intervention from his mother, Shatrughan chose to marry Poonam and informed Reena of his decision. Yet, even then, his relationship with Reena did not immediately end. Just two days before the wedding, he was in London with Reena for a stage show. When composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji announced on stage that he was about to marry the love of his life, Reena stood beside him silently. She even drove him to the airport afterward. Recalling the moment later, he told Stardust Magazine, “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.”The stress took a toll on Poonam, who reportedly fainted during the wedding pheras. Throughout it all, she knew that Shatrughan had not completely severed ties with Reena. Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, he said, “I had to make a choice when I married Promi (Poonam) while I was still very involved with my co-star (Reena).” Even after the marriage, his emotional involvement with Reena continued. Defending himself, he explained, “It wasn’t as if I wanted to cheat on either but it takes time for a man to withdraw from an emotional situation.” Now many years later, in a recent interview with Lehren Retro, the actor admitted that he felt guilty about two-timing both these women. When asked if he feels guilty, he said, “Acche accho ko guilty feel hota hai aur main toh chhote shahar Patna se aaya hu.” He concluded by saying, “Agar aadmi accha ho, toh agar 2-3 jagah commitment chal raha hai aur ek jagah woh bohot committed ho, toh uske liye bhi dikkat hoti hai. Uska chayn sukoon blood pressure pe bohot farq padta hai. Ek ke paas jaata hai toh ghar pe joh rehti hai uski yaad aati hai. Aur jab doosre ke paas jaata hai toh lagta hai, usko kyun khilone ke tarah rakha hai? Wahan kaise jaau? (When a man is good at heart, and he is having two committed relationships simultaneously, he too suffers a lot in terms of his mental and physical health. You also feel guilty. When you are out with your lover, you feel guilty for your wife at home and when you are with your wife, you feel bad for your lover and think, have I kept her as a toy?)”