Kapil Dev – Sarika love story: When the cricketer and the actress almost tied the knot (Throwback)

The people of our country are passionate about just two things – films and cricket. So when Bollywood and cricket come together, they always get the loudest cheer and the strongest applause. No wonder, the women of Bollywood who make the whole nation go weak-in-their-knees, find their love interests in the men who represent the country.

Sharmila Tagore – Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Madhuri Dixit – Ajay Jadeja, Nagma – Saurav Ganguly, Deepika Padukone – MS Dhoni, Kim Sharma – Yuvraj Singh; many of our Indian cricketers have often lost their hearts to these Indian beauties. However, one such love story that you might not really remember is that of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, who lifted the World Cup trophy in 1983 and actress Sarika, who was always known for her unconventional film choices.

How it started?

Kapil Dev and Sarika both were single when they first met. It is said that it was the idea of Mrs Manoj Kumar to bring the two stars of the two different industry together. From small talks to casual meetings, the couple soon hit-it-off. And as they continued meeting, sparks flew. From acquaintances to friends to more than friends, the equation between the two escalated pretty soon. The couple soon entered into a relationship, an Indiatimes report said. So much so, that Kapil Dev even took her to Punjab to meet his parents, says a Hindustan Times report.

What went wrong?

Kapil Dev decided to move back to his girlfriend Romi Bhatia, with whom he had had a fight all this while. It was in anger that Kapil had decided to see and meet Sarika without knowing that it would so soon escalate into something so substantial. However, when Romi comes back into the picture, Kapil backs off and marries his first love. Kapil Dev married his ladylove Romi Bhatia; Sarika found love in the arms of southern superstar Kamal Haasan.

Sarika and Kamal Haasan

Sarika had revealed that since Kamal was a married man, she tried her best to break-up with him several times. They even broke up four-five times but used to come together after failing to stay apart. However, when an unmarried Sarika got pregnant with a married Kamal's child, she decided to leave the country. But, she couldn't have left the country without letting him know that she was carrying his child. And once she did, Kamal knew he had to come out of his marriage that was there only for the namesake.