Pooja Bedi is a Bollywood actress, a television talk show host and a socialite and obviously a writer. Pooja Bedi is a spirit of healthy irreverence, who is the epitome of the guts inbuilt in her to raise question about the ongoing flaws in the social structure, to challenge the set conventions, and voice her opinion and explore realities and world beyond the boundaries created by society and man!
Early Life of Pooja Bedi
Pooja Bedi was born on 11th of May 1970 in Bombay, to Protima Bedi and Kabir Bedi. While Kabir had been a popular face of Indian Movies, Protima had strengthened her grounds in Indian Classical Dance. She grew up in a bohemian progressive artistic environment given that her parents defied most of the religious archetypes, the bigotries and the blind old faiths. Her domicile had been the conventional congregation place or adda place for the thinkers, philosophers, poets, musicians and the ambience thus resonated with higher ideologies, philosophical thoughts and a radiated wit which had been the amalgamating formula of the bright, illuminated, curious and artistic minds. And as she connotes her attempts had been a long driven combat to create her own individual space a balance of the east west and the conventions within the framework of bohemianism. She received her basic education at Besant Montessori in Mumbai and then at Lawrence School, Sanawar. She was a class topper academically and was in the basketball team, hockey team, swimming team, debating team, and theatre group. She has dabbled different roles in her life including that of an actress, author, interior decorator and hostess. Pooja was given the Buddhist name Karma Saraswati by the Karmapa but later she changed her name to Noorjehan upon marrying Farhan Furniturewalla whom she met in 1990. She is the mother of two children Aalia and Omar. Her mother lost her life in a landslide while on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas.
Career of Pooja Bedi
In the time gap 1991 to 1994, Bedi tried her luck at Bollywood films, has appeared in many commercials and campaigns. She hogged the limelight for the Kama Sutra condom campaign which she endorsed and used as a vehicle to raise awareness of AIDS.
She even made her appearance felt in plays such as Carry On Papa, Wow What a Girl and A Bengali Jatra.
She made her film debut with Jag Mundhra`s 1991 film Vishkanya. 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. Her other films include Lootere (1993) and Aatank Hi Aatank (1995).
In 2000, she complied and edited Time pass, the memoirs of her mother Protima Bedi. 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. In 2000 she had a public tiff with Amitabh Bachchan.
She has hosted celebrity talk shows since 2004, one of which, formerly titled Not just Page 3 was later known as Just Pooja. It was broadcast on zoom. This show went on to win multiple awards.
In 2007, she participated in Jhalak Dikhlaja on Sony Entertainment Television and has since taken up Latin American ballroom dancing. She later performed with her choreographer/partner Hanif Hilal at events and functions all across the globe. She took part in Nach Baliye (Season 3) on Star Plus and Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colors channel. She hosted the Saturday special episode of Bigg Boss season 2 where she interviewed the evicted contestants.
In 2010, she participated in Maa Exchange, the Indian version of "Wife Swap" on Sony Entertainment Television. She has been a brand ambassador for Kaya Skin Clinic, Allergan India and the Country Club (CCIL India). She is currently a relationship counsellor with her column "Heart Chakra" in the Times of India, and also with her column in Femina, an Indian women`s magazine. She also writes a monthly column for the magazine Men`s Health. In the season 5 of Bigg Boss she even stayed at the house being its inmate.
Filmography of Pooja Bedi
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
Lootere
Vishkanya
Aatank hi Aatank
Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee
Chittemma Mogudu (Telugu)
Shakti
Television Works of Pooja Bedi
Not Just Page 3
Just Pooja
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa
Heartbeat
Mum tum aur hum
Jodi Kamaal ki
Nach Baliye
Bigg Boss (Season 2)
Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi
Maa Exchange
