Neelam Kothari Soni is an Indian actress and jewellery designer from

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

, known mononymously as Neelam. She made her acting debut with ''

Jawaani ''Jawaani'' is a 1984 Indian Hindi-language film produced and directed by Ramesh Behl, starring Sharmila Tagore, Anupam Kher, Moushumi Chatterjee and introduces Neelam Kothari along with Karan Shah and Jatin Malhotra. The film has the chartbus ...

'' (1984) opposite debutant Karan Shah. Since then she starred in various films alongside

Govinda Govinda (), also rendered Govind and Gobind, is an epithet of Vishnu which is also used for his avatars such as Krishna. The name appears as the 187th and the 539th name of Vishnu in '' Vishnu Sahasranama''. The name is also popularly addresse ...

such as ''

Love 86 Love 86 (Hindi: लव Urdu: ) is a 1986 Bollywood romantic drama film directed by Esmayeel Shroff, starring Tanuja, Govinda, Rohan Kapoor, Farha Naaz and Neelam. It was a remake of the 1982 Tamil film ''Ilanjodigal''. This was Govinda's Debu ...

'' (1986), ''

Ilzaam ''Ilzaam'' () is a 1986 Bollywood drama film directed by Shibu Mitra and produced by Pahlaj Nihlani, starring Govinda in his film debut alongside Neelam, Shatrughan Sinha, Anita Raj, Shashi Kapoor and Prem Chopra. The film was declared a hi ...

'' (1986), ''

Sindoor Sindooram is a traditional vermilion red or orange-red coloured cosmetic powder from the Indian subcontinent, usually worn by married women along the part of their hairline. In Hindu communities the sindoor is a visual marker of marital stat ...

'' (1986), ''

Khudgarz Khudgarz () is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language action drama film, produced and directed by Rakesh Roshan under the Film Kraft banner. It stars Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha, Govinda, Bhanupriya, Amrita Singh and Neelam Kothari with music composed ...

'' (1987), ''

Hatya ''Hatya'' () is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Kirti Kumar and starring Govinda, Neelam, Anupam Kher and Sujitha. This film is a remake of Malayalam film '' Poovinu Puthiya Poonthennal'' (1986). Plot Sagar ( ...

'' (1988), ''

Farz Ki Jung ''Farz Ki Jung'' is a 1989 Indian Bollywood action film directed by R.P. Swamy and produced by Dalwinder Sohal. It stars Govinda, Shashi Kapoor, Amrish Puri and Neelam in pivotal roles. Plot Honest, hardworking, and diligent Police Inspector V ...

'' (1989), ''

Taaqatwar ''Taaqatwar'' (English: Powerful) is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by David Dhawan (in his directorial debut) and starring Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, Neelam Kothari and Anita Raj. It was a box office failure. Govinda worked with ...

'' (1989) and ''

Do Qaidi Do Qaidi () is a 1989 Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Ajay Kashyap starring Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Farah and Neelam Kothari. Plot Manu (Sanjay Dutt) and Kanu (Govinda) are two thieves. They work for criminal K.K. (Amrish Puri) ...

'' (1989). She starred opposite

Chunkey Pandey Suyash Panday (born 26 September 1962), better known by his stage name Chunky Panday, is an Indian actor who works in Bollywood films. He has appeared in over 100 films in a career that has spanned over three decades. His most successful films ...

in films ''

Aag Hi Aag ''Aag Hi Aag'' ( hi, आग ही आग; translation: Fire Everywhere) is a 1987 Bollywood action film directed by Shibu Mitra. It stars Dharmendra, Moushumi Chatterjee, Shatrughan Sinha, Chunky Pandey, Neelam, Richa Sharma, Shakti Kapoor, D ...

'' (1987), ''

Paap Ki Duniya Paap Ki Duniya (; is a 1988 Indian film directed by Shibu Mitra. The movie stars Sunny Deol, Chunky Pandey, Neelam, Pran, Shakti Kapoor and Danny Denzongpa. The film was one of the biggest hits of Bollywood in 1988. Plot An honest Jailor Sh ...

'' (1988), '' Khatron Ke Khiladi'' (1988), '' Billoo Badshah'' (1989), ''

Ghar Ka Chiraag ''Ghar Ka Chiraag'' (transl. ''House Lamp'') is a 1989 Indian film in Hindi directed by Sikander Bharti. The film stars Rajesh Khanna, Chunky Pandey, Neelam in the lead roles. Actor Chunky Pandey himself distributed this film. Cast * Rajesh K ...

'' (1989), and ''

Mitti Aur Sona ''Mitti Aur Sona'' (transl. ''Clay and Gold'') is a 1989 Indian Bollywood action film directed by Shiv Kumar and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani. The film stars Chunky Pandey, Sonam, Neelam in lead roles. Plot Vijay (Chunky Pandey) is from a wea ...

'' (1989).

Early life

Neelam Kothari Soni was born in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

to a

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

father Shishir Kothari and

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

mother Parveen Kothari. As a child, she learnt 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 Island School ( Chinese: 港島中學) is a co-educational international school located in Hong Kong. It is the founding school of the English Schools Foundation, and is still a member. The school has been accredited by international organisatio ...

, where she was a member of Rutherford house. After her childhood in Hong Kong, her family moved to Bangkok. Neelam was holidaying in Mumbai when she was approached by director Ramesh Behl. She decided to give acting a shot and signed for the film ''Jawaani'' (1984) alongside Karan Shah,

Tina Munim Tina Ambani (née Munim) is a former Indian actress. She is married to Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group. She is actively involved in many foundations and charities. Many of these were established in the memory of her in-laws, Dhirubhai a ...

's nephew. But the film was unsuccessful commercially.

Career

Acting

Kothari's

performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...

in her debut film was noticed in film circles and she received offers. She later became famous in 1986 for her role in the film ''

'' opposite another debutant,

. She made a very popular pairing with Govinda and starred with him in 14 movies and some of their films include ''

'' (1986), ''

'' (1987), ''

'' (1988) and ''

'' (1989). She had 5 hits opposite

, such as ''

'' (1987), ''

'' (1988), '' Khatron Ke Khiladi'' (1988), ''

'' (1989) and ''

'' (1989), out of 8 films with him, the other 3 being ''

Zakham (1989 film) ''Zakham'' is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language feature film directed by Irfaan Khan for Disha Films, starring Shatrughan Sinha, Chunky Pandey, Neelam, Madhavi in lead roles. Bappi Lahiri composed the music for the film. Cast *Shatrughan Sinha as ...

'', '' Khule-Aam'' and a Bengali film, ''

Mandira (film) ''Mandira'' is a 1990 Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali film directed by Sujit Guha and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani. It is a remake of 1980 Hindi film Aasha (1980 film), Aasha. The film features actors Prosenjit Chatterjee, Indrani Haldar, Sonam (a ...

''. She also worked in another Bengali film ''

Badnam ''Badnam'' (English language, English: Infamous) (Bengali language, Bengali: বদনাম) is a 1990 Bengali language, Bengali Drama Film, drama film directed by Shibu Mitra and produced by Ms. Rupanjali.The film features actors Prosenjit C ...

'' (1990) with

Prosenjit Chatterjee Prosenjit Chatterjee (born 30 September 1962) is an Indian actor and producer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading actors in modern Bengali cinema. He predominantly works in Bengali cinema . He is the son of veteran Bollywood actor Bisw ...

. She was also noticed for her appearance in the 1998 film ''

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' () also known as ''KKHH'' or ''K2H2'', is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film written and directed by Karan Johar and produced under Dharma Productions. It stars the popular on-screen pair of Shah Rukh Kh ...

'', where she played herself as a VJ and in the 1999 ensemble family drama ''

Hum Saath Saath Hain ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'' () 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 Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, S ...

'' in which she played a supporting role. Her last film was the delayed release ''Kasam'' in 2001, opposite

Chunky Pandey Suyash Panday (born 26 September 1962), better known by his stage name Chunky Panday, is an Indian actor who works in Bollywood films. He has appeared in over 100 films in a career that has spanned over three decades. His most successful films ...

. In 2020, she starred alongside '' Maheep Kapoor'', ''

Bhavna Pandey ''Bhavna'' is a 1984 Hindi film directed by Pravin Bhatt in directorial debut of the cinematographer. The film stars Shabana Azmi, Marc Zuber, Kanwaljit Singh (actor), Kanwaljit Singh, Saeed Jaffrey, Rohini Hattangadi, Satish Shah and Urmila Mat ...

'' and '' Seema Sajdeh'' in a reality television series '' Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives'' as well as Season 2 (2022), both of which was streamed on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

Jewellery designing

Even while pursuing her career in acting, she was interested in jewellery designing and was involved in her family business. She pursued a formal course in jewellery-designing 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. She then launched her jewellery store in Mumbai on 25 August 2011 under the name Neelam Kothari Fine Jewels.

Other works

Neelam featured in

Bina Mistry Bina Mistry is a popular Hindi /Gujarati singer based in the United Kingdom. Mistry was born in Tanzania, of Indian parents. Later she moved to London, where she became a merchant banker. Her interest in Hindi music led to a job as a DJ and reco ...

's ''Hot Hot Hot'' music video, a song that is part of a compilation of dance hits in the 1995 BMG release, titled ''Channel Hits: The Ultimate Dance Collection''. The song became a hit when it was featured as part of the soundtrack of ''

Bend It Like Beckham ''Bend It Like Beckham'' (also known as ''Kick It Like Beckham'') is a 2002 sports comedy-drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha from a screenplay by Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, and Guljit Bindra. The film stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightle ...

'' (2002).

Personal life

Sameer Soni,Neelam Kothari grace Kallista Spa opening 08

In October 2000, Neelam married Rishi Sethia, the son of a businessman from the UK. They got divorced soon after. After a brief relationship with actor

Samir Soni Samir Soni is an Indian film and television actor, director and former fashion model. Career Soni made his debut in the Hindi serial '' Samandar.'' In 1996, he appeared as Ashok Mathur in Doordarshan's '' A Mouthful Of Sky''. He made his film ...

, she married him in 2011. After 2 years of marriage, in 2013, they adopted a daughter and named her Ahana. 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 Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...

Saif Ali Khan Saif Ali Khan (; born Sajid Ali Khan Pataudi; 16 August 1970) is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi films. Part of the Pataudi family, he is the son of actress Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Khan ma ...

Sonali Bendre Sonali Bendre (born 1 January 1975) is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. She did modelling assignments prior to making her acting debut with '' Aag'' (1994), which won her the Filmfare Award for Ne ...

and

Tabu Tabu may refer to: Cultural and legal concepts *Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society *Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...

. She was acquitted by the CJM court at Jodhpur on 5 April 2018.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kothari, Neelam Living people Hong Kong people Hong Kong people of Indian descent Hong Kong people of Iranian descent Actresses from Mumbai Artists from Mumbai Hong Kong film actresses British film actresses British television actresses Actresses in Hindi cinema Actresses in Bengali cinema Actresses in Marathi cinema Actresses in Kannada cinema Actresses in Hindi television British jewellery designers People educated at Island School British people of Iranian descent British people of Gujarati descent British actresses of Indian descent British expatriate actresses in India European actresses in India European actresses in Bollywood Gujarati people 20th-century British actresses 21st-century British actresses Year of birth missing (living people)