Neelam Kothari Soni | |
---|---|
Born | Neelam Kothari |
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation(s) | Actress Jewelry designer |
Years active | 1984–2001 2020–present |
Spouses | |
Children | 1 |
Neelam Kothari Soni, known mononymously as Neelam, is an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with Jawaani (1984), followed it in various films opposite Govinda such as Love 86 (1986), Ilzaam (1986), Sindoor (1987), Khudgarz (1987), Hatya (1988), Farz Ki Jung (1989), Billoo Badshah (1989), Taaqatwar (1989) and Do Qaidi (1989); simultaneously starred opposite Chunky Pandey in films Aag Hi Aag (1987), Paap Ki Duniya (1988), Khatron Ke Khiladi (1988), Ghar Ka Chiraag (1989), and Mitti Aur Sona (1989).
Neelam Kothari Soni was born in Hong Kong to a Gujarati Indian father Shishir Kothari and Iranian mother Parveen Kothari. [1] [2] [3] [4] As a child, she learned to play the keyboard and danced Jazz Ballet. Her family has a traditional jewellery-making business, making high-class pieces. She was educated at Island School, where she was a member of Rutherford House. When she was a teenager her family moved to Bangkok. When Neelam was on vacation in Mumbai she was approached by director Ramesh Behl. [5] She decided to give acting a shot and signed Jawaani (1984) alongside Karan Shah, Tina Munim's nephew. [6]
Though not a big hit commercially, Neelam's performance in her debut film was noticed and she received many offers. She gained popularity from her role in Ilzaam (1986) opposite debutant Govinda. She made a very popular pairing with Govinda and they starred in 14 movies. The bigger hits amongst them include Love 86 (1986), Khudgarz (1987), Hatya (1988) and Taaqatwar (1989). She gave five hits with Chunkey Pandey - Aag Hi Aag (1987), Paap Ki Duniya (1988), Khatron Ke Khiladi (1988), Mitti Aur Sona (1989) and Ghar Ka Chiraag (1989), out of the eight films she costarred with him (the other three were Zakham (1989 film) , Khule-Aam and a Bengali film, Mandira). She has also worked in the Bengali film Badnam (1990) with Prosenjit Chatterjee.
Neelam has also appeared in the popular Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) where she played herself as a VJ and the ensemble family drama Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999) in which she played a pivotal supporting role. Her last film was the much-delayed Kasam (2001) opposite Chunky Pandey. [7]
In 2020-22 she has appeared alongside Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey and Seema Sajdeh in 2 seasons of the reality television series Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives that streamed on Netflix. [8] [9]
Even while pursuing her career in acting, she was interested in jewellery designing and was involved in her family business. She followed a formal course in jewellery-designing [10] in Mumbai and, after quitting films temporarily in 2001, started out commercially on her own under the name Neelam Jewels. She opened a showroom in Mumbai in 2004. [11] She then launched her jewellery store in Mumbai on 25 August 2011 under the name Neelam Kothari Fine Jewels.
Neelam featured in Bina Mistry's Hot Hot Hot music video, [12] a song that is part of a compilation of dance hits in the 1995 BMG release, titled Channel [V] Hits: The Ultimate Dance Collection. The song became a hit when it was featured as part of the soundtrack of Bend It Like Beckham (2002).
In October 2000, Neelam married Rishi Sethia, the son of a businessman from the UK [13] but they got divorced soon after. [14] After a brief relationship with actor Samir Soni, [15] she married him in 2011. [16] In 2013, they adopted a daughter and named her Ahana. [17]
In 1998, Neelam was charged with the Wildlife Act and the IPC for the poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani during the filming of Hum Saath Saath Hain, along with co-stars Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre and Tabu. She was acquitted by the CJM court at Jodhpur on 5 April 2018. [18]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Jawaani | Sanam | |
1986 | Ilzaam | Aarti | |
Andaz Pyar Ka | |||
Love 86 | Esha | ||
1987 | Aag Hi Aag | Aarti | |
Khudgarz | Jyoti | ||
Sindoor | Lalita Kapoor | ||
1988 | Taaqatwar | Bijli | |
Hatya | Sapna | ||
Waqt Ki Awaz | Dancer, Singer | ||
Ghar Mein Ram Gali Mein Shyam | Jaya | ||
Khatron Ke Khiladi | Sunita | ||
Paap Ki Duniya | Aarti | ||
1989 | Gharana | Lalita | |
Do Qaidi | Neelu | ||
Ghar Ka Chiraag | Kiran | ||
Hum Bhi Insaan Hain | Rekha | ||
Mitti Aur Sona | Anupama | ||
1990 | Vishnu Devaa | ||
Mandira | Bengali film | ||
Badnam | Kajol | Bengali film | |
Shankara | Seema | ||
Doodh Ka Karz | Reshma | ||
Upkar Dhoodhache | Reshma | Marathi film | |
Chor Pe Mor | Ritu | ||
Amiri Garibi | Jyoti | ||
Agneepath | Siksha Chavan | ||
Zakham | Aarti | ||
Billoo Badshah | Jyoti | ||
Farz Ki Jung | Kavita | ||
Dost Garibon Ka | Rekha | ||
1991 | Kasak | Divya | |
Meet Mere Man Ke | |||
Ranbhoomi | Neelam | ||
Indrajeet | Neelam | ||
Afsana Pyaar Ka | Nikita | ||
1992 | Ek Ladka Ek Ladki | Renu / Rani | |
Khule-Aam | Priya | ||
Sahebzaade | Chinar | ||
Laat Saab | Anju / Mona | ||
1993 | Parampara | Sapna | |
1995 | Santaan | Asha | |
Antim Nyay | Rekha | ||
1996 | Ek Tha Raja | Shilpa | |
Sauda | Jyoti | ||
Aadithya | Kannada film | ||
1997 | Mohabbat Aur Jung | Priya | |
1998 | Kuch Kuch Hota Hai | VJ Neelam | Special appearance |
1999 | Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United | Sangeeta | |
2000 | Patthar Aur Payal | ||
2001 | Kasam | Bindiya | |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2020–present | Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives | Herself |
2022 | Masaba Masaba | Herself |
2023 | Made in Heaven | Kriti Malhotra |
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Hum Saath-Saath Hain, also abbreviated as HSSH, is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya under the production and distribution of Rajshri Productions. The film stars an ensemble cast with Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, Mohnish Bahl, alongside Neelam, Mahesh Thakur, Reema Lagoo and Alok Nath. The story centers on a joint family and its values and togetherness, who grow apart after a misunderstanding.
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