Pooja Bedi

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Pooja Bedi
Pooja Bedi grace the launch of Farah Khan Ali’s book 'A Bejewelled Life'.jpg
Pooja Bedi in 2019
Born (1970-05-11) 11 May 1970 (age 51)[1]
OccupationActress, television presenter, relationship columnist
Years active1991–present
Spouse(s)
Farhan Ebrahim Furniturewala
(m. 1994; div. 2003)
ChildrenAlaya Furniturewala (Daughter)
Parent(s)Kabir Bedi (father)
Protima Bedi (mother)

Pooja Bedi (born 11 May 1970) is an Indian actress, television talk show host and newspaper columnist. She is the daughter of Indian actors Kabir Bedi and Protima Bedi. She has also participated in the reality television shows, Bigg Boss and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi.

Life and career[]

Early life and career beginnings (1970–2006)[]

Pooja Bedi was born in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) to the late Indian classical dancer Protima and film star Kabir Bedi.[2] She was brought up in what she calls a bohemian progressive artistic environment.[1] She received her basic education at Besant Montessori in Bombay and then at The Lawrence School, Sanawar.

From 1991 to 1995, Bedi worked in Bollywood films and appeared in many commercials and campaigns. She is remembered for the KamaSutra condom campaign which she endorsed and used as a vehicle to raise awareness of AIDS.[3]

She appeared in plays such as Carry On Papa, Wow What a Girl, and A Bengali Jatra.[citation needed]

She made her film debut with Jag Mundhra's film Vishkanya (1991). She went on to act in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992) with Aamir Khan for which she earned a nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1993.[citation needed] Her other films include Lootere (1993)[4] and Aatank Hi Aatank (1995).[citation needed]

Breakthrough role and debut in reality shows (2006–2011)[]

In 2000, she compiled and edited Timepass, the memoirs of her mother Protima Bedi.[citation needed] She has been a columnist with the Times of India, the Hindustan Times, and MiD DAY newspapers, and has written articles for numerous publications, including L'officiel, Femina and The Week.[5]

In 2005, Bedi along with Hanif Hilal participated in Nach Baliye. In 2006, Bedi participated in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in its first season followed by Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. In 2011, Bedi was a celebrity contestant in the fifth season of the Indian version of the reality TV show Big Brother, Bigg Boss.[6] She was evicted after surviving for 8 weeks in the house, which was Day 56 (27 November).[7][8]

Personal life[]

Pooja Bedi and Alaia Furniturewalla at the launch of 'A Bejewelled Life'.

Bedi married Farhan Ebrahim Furniturewala, a Muslim of Gujarati Khoja descent, whom she met in 1990. She converted to Islam prior to her wedding to Furniturewala, which took place May 6, 1994. Upon her Islamic conversion she took the name Noorjahan.[9][10] They have two children, a daughter Alaya Furniturewala born in 1997 and son Omar Furniturewala, born in 2000. Bedi and Farhan divorced in 2003.[11]

In February 2019, Bedi got engaged to a Parsi named Maneck Contractor.[12] Her daughter, Alaya made her Bollywood debut in January 2020 with comedy drama film Jawaani Jaaneman which also stars Saif Ali Khan & Tabu.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, she traveled from Mumbai which was a red zone under quarantine, to Contractor's holiday residence in Goa (then a green zone, but soon also turned red due to infected persons flooding into Goa from COVID-19 hotspots in other states of India), and created a ruckus on social media by criticising the quarantine facilities at the state. She also caused an outrage among the native Goans, by falsely claiming that she and Contractor are also Goans.[13]

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Director
1991 Vishkanya Lead Role Jag Mundhra
1992 Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar Supporting Role Mansoor Khan
Chittamma Mogudu Co-starring Mohan Babu
1993 Lootere Dharmesh Darshan
Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee Mahesh Bhatt
1995 Aatank Hi Aatank Guest Appearance Dilip Shankar
2011 Shakti Faqtooni Meher Ramesh
2020 Comedy Couple Zohra Nachiket Samant

Television[]

Year Show Role Notes
2006 Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 1 Contestant Along with choreo partner Hanif Hilal
2007 Nach Baliye 3 Along with boyfriend Hanif Hilal
2008 Bigg Boss 2 Host In a different segment
Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 1 Contestant
2011 Maa Exchange
Bigg Boss 5 Evicted Week 8, Day 56
2020 Masaba Masaba Geeta Chopra

References[]

  1. ^ a b Sawhney, Anubha (1 June 2003). "Pooja Bedi: The siege within". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Pooja Bedi: I have really liked all my father's girlfriends, and wives, including Parveen Babi - Times of India". The Times of India.
  3. ^ Misra, Shubhangi (16 February 2020). "The KamaSutra ad that changed the role of condoms in India from functional to pleasurable".
  4. ^ Lootere Movie: Showtimes, Review, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos | eTimes, retrieved 9 March 2021
  5. ^ "Actress and columnist Pooja Bedi's barefoot moment!". Zee News. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Bigg Boss 5: Juhi Parmar to Shakti Kapoor, here's the final list of contestants". 2 October 2011.
  7. ^ "Pooja Bedi evicted from Bigg Boss 5 house". 26 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Sky is the most fake person in Bigg Boss". 5 December 2011.
  9. ^ Jun 1, Anubha Sawhney | TNN |; 2003; Ist, 00:28. "Pooja Bedi: The siege within | undefined News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 May 2021.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Fell In Love With 5 Different Men, Yet Pooja Bedi Is Single And Rocking At The Age Of 47". BollywoodShaadis. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  11. ^ Ramasubramanian, Uma (24 February 2019). "My kids wanted me to settle down for many years now, says Pooja Bedi". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Pooja Bedi engaged to childhood friend Maneck Contractor; to get married soon". Newsd www.newsd.in. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  13. ^ D'Mello, Pamela (31 May 2020). "Goans Worried As Rich Flee From Covid Hotspots To 'Second Homes' In State". Huffington Post.

External links[]

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