Meet the actress who rose to fame at the age of 18, got married at the age of 19, became a mother at the age of 20, and is now
Bollywood saw a transformation in the 1990s. The majority of emerging young actresses were in their late teens. Nearly all newly formed actresses debuted before to turning eighteen. Sonam Khan was among the fresh and promising actresses. After making her breakthrough at the age of 18, the young heroine married the next year and left the business in her early 20s to devote herself to her family.
Sonam, who was born Bakhtavar Khan, is the niece of Raza Murad and the granddaughter of seasoned actor Murad. Yash Chopra gave her the screen name Sonam because he thought it would be more appropriate and commercial for a heroine. At the age of fifteen, Sonam starred in her first film, Samrat, in Telugu. The following year, she made her Bollywood debut with Vijay. Sonam first gained recognition when she made an appearance in the popular song Tirchi Topiwale from the 1989 album Tridev. She starred in around 20 movies over the course of the next two years, including Kroadh, Ajooba, and Vishwatma. However, she fell in love when she met producer Gulshan Rai’s son, Rajiv Rai, in 1991. At the age of eighteen, she married Rajiv in the same year and left the business.
After getting married in 1991, Sonam and Rajiv had their first child the following year. The parents moved abroad to better manage their son’s autism after receiving a diagnosis at a young age. Sonam and Rajiv split in 2001, although they stayed wed. However, the couple filed for divorce in 2016, alleging irreconcilable differences, after a 15-year separation. However, Sonam and Rajiv are still friendly, and the former actress was recently seen visiting her ex’s music studio. Sonam shared a photo of herself and Rajiv on Instagram, writing, “Rajiv WAS, IS & WILL always be in my heart tucked away forever.” He never failed to make me feel like a queen, even with all of his problems. I appreciate all you’ve done for my parents, our baby, and myself, Rajiv.
