Misplaced Pages

Sonam
Born	Bakhtavar Khan (1972-09-02) 2 September 1972 (age 52) India
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1987–1994
Spouse	Rajiv Rai ​ ​(m. 1991; div. 2016)​
Children	1

Sonam Khan (born Bakhtavar Khan; 2 September 1972) is an Indian actress who is predominantly known for her work in Hindi as well as Telugu films. A granddaughter of actor Murad, she began her career with the Telugu film Samrat in 1987. She was launched in Hindi cinema by Yash Chopra in his directorial Vijay in 1988.

Sonam went on to star in several commercially successful films, including Tridev (1989), Mitti Aur Sona (1989), Kroadh (1990), Kodama Simham (1990), Ajooba (1991), Fateh (1991), and Vishwatma (1992).

Early Life

Sonam was born as Bakhtavar Khan to her parents Mushir Khan and Talat Khan. She is a granddaughter of actor Murad. Actor Raza Murad is Sonam's maternal uncle and actress Sanober Kabir is her cousin. Khan adopted the screen-name 'Sonam', which was suggested to her by filmmaker Yash Chopra.

Career

1987–1988: Debut and breakthrough

Her first release was the Telugu film Samrat, opposite Ramesh Babu, in the year 1987, which was a remake of the 1983 Hindi film Betaab. Yash Chopra launched Sonam in Hindi cinema with the 1988 ensemble film Vijay, in which she was paired opposite Rishi Kapoor.

1989–1994: Professional expansion

In 1989, Sonam had nine film releases. She gained wide recognition that year with the song "Oye Oye...Tirchi Topi Wale" from the action film Tridev. It was directed by Rajiv Rai, and she starred in it alongside Naseeruddin Shah. The film ranks among the highest-grossing films of the year. She also gained appreciation for her performance in Mitti Aur Sona, co-starring Chunky Pandey.

Sonam went on to have ten releases in 1990, including the box office hit Kroadh, co-starring Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Amrita Singh. The same year, her only Bengali film Mandira, co-starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, also had a release. She also played the leading lady opposite Chiranjeevi in the top-grossing Telugu film Kodama Simham.

Her first release in 1991 was the multi-starrer fantasy film Ajooba with Amitabh Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor. It was one of the most expensive films of its time. Khan had seven other releases in the same year out of which the action film Fateh opposite Sanjay Dutt was well received.

In 1992, she collaborated for the third time with Naseeruddin Shah in Rajiv Rai's Vishwatma, an action thriller, which was one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of that year. During filming, she developed a close bond with her co-star Divya Bharti, who died in 1993.

Following Sonam's marriage to Rajiv Rai, she completed a few projects that she had already committed to before her marriage. These included films such as Baaz (1992) opposite Govinda, Police Wala (1993) opposite Chunky Pandey, and Insaaf Apne Lahoo Se (1994) opposite Sanjay Dutt. She did not sign any new film projects after her marriage, focusing only on finishing the ones she had already begun.

Personal life

In 1991, Sonam married director Rajiv Rai, who had directed her in the films, Tridev and Vishwatma. Rai is the son of film producer Gulshan Rai, the founder of the banner Trimurti Films. After marriage, Sonam quit acting to focus on her family. The couple has a son, who was diagnosed with autism. They lived in Los Angeles, London and many other countries before eventually settling in Europe. However, their marriage deteriorated, and they separated in 2001. In 2016, they officially divorced, 15 years after their separation.

Khan returned to India in the 2020s, making her first public appearance after 30 years at Mumbai's Jio World Plaza in 2023. As of 2024, she lives in Mumbai with her son. She has expressed a desire to return to acting.

Filmography

References

1. "Then and now: 'Tridev' actress Sonam – Bollywood celebs: Then and now". The Times of India.
2. "Lesser known facts". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
3. ^ "Popular 1990s cinema pin-up Sonam Khan discusses her career and comeback". Eastern Eye. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
4. ^ "'If I am called a sex symbol today, I don't care'". Rediff.com. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
5. Cite error: The named reference The Times of India 2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
6. ^ "Exclusive: "Never, never marry young..." Says the Oye oye girl Sonam Khan". Filmfare. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
7. "Meet actress who worked with Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Chiranjeevi, quit acting at peak of her career suddenly due to." DNA India.
8. "Tridev Star Sonam Khan On Being A "Sex Symbol" In The 80s: "If You Have It, Show It"". NDTV. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
9. "1989 Box Office". www.boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
10. Jha, Lata (28 September 2015). "Ten big-budget Bollywood box-office disasters". Mint.
11. "Boxofficeindia.com". 14 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013.
12. "Sonam Khan recalls final conversation with Divya Bharti: 'Wo jahan bhi ho, khush rahe'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
13. "Sonam: In the '90s, once you were married your career was over". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
14. "Meet 'Oye Oye girl' Sonam: Became star at 16, got married at 19 at peak of her career, lived in 4 countries and then..." DNA India.
15. "Sonam Khan on life post quitting films, says she travelled the world looking for treatment for her son: 'I had him even before I was 20'". The Indian Express. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
16. Hungama, Bollywood (29 August 2023). "EXCLUSIVE: Sonam Khan says her "autistic" son was her "focus" after she quit acting: "I became mother before turning 20" 20 : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama". Retrieved 3 August 2024.
17. "Director Rajiv Rai, actress wife Sonam formally divorce after 15 years of separation". Firstpost. 1 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
18. "Jio World Plaza: After 30 years, Sonam Khan Makes Her First Public Appearance in Sabyasachi". News18. 1 November 2023.
19. "'Oye Oye' Girl Sonam Announces Her Return To Bollywood, Reveals Reason Behind Quitting Acting". News18. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2024.

External links

• Sonam at IMDb
• Sonam at Bollywood Hungama

• Living people
• Actresses in Telugu cinema
• Indian female models
• Indian film actresses
• Actresses in Hindi cinema
• Indian expatriates in the United States
• Actresses from Mumbai
• 20th-century Indian actresses
• Converts to Hinduism from Islam
• Indian former Muslims
• Indian Hindus