10 october 2024 : Actor Simi Garewal, who rarely posts on social media, made an exception on Thursday to mourn the loss of industrialist Ratan Tata, who passed away on Wednesday night in Mumbai. Unlike other tributes from Bollywood, Simi’s message was deeply personal. It’s not widely known, but she and Ratan Tata were romantically involved in the past before remaining close friends.
On Twitter (now X), Simi shared a collage of photos of herself with Ratan Tata from his appearance on her talk show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. Alongside the images, she wrote, “They say you have gone. It’s too hard to bear your loss… too hard… Farewell my friend.. #RatanTata.”
In past interviews, Simi had revealed that she briefly dated Ratan Tata during her active Bollywood days, but they remained close friends even after parting ways. She had once described him as “perfection,” noting his sense of humor, modesty, and gentlemanly demeanor. Simi also mentioned that unlike his more relaxed demeanor abroad, Ratan wasn’t as at ease in India.
Simi Garewal, originally from Ludhiana, began her acting career in 1962 with an English film before appearing in Bollywood and Bengali films, such as Do Badan, Mera Naam Joker, Aranyer Din Ratri, Siddhartha, and Karz. She later became widely known for hosting the popular talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal in the ’90s and early 2000s.