Soni Razdan

Soni Mahesh Bhatt, born and known professionally as Soni Razdan, is a British actress and film director who works in Indian Hindi-language films. She had established herself as a leading actress of the 1980s and early 1990s and is part of the Bhatt family of Indian cinema.

She made her acting debut as Rosemary in '' 36 Chowringhee Lane'' (1981). She also played roles in films such as '' Mandi'', '' Trikal'', '' Khamosh'', and '' Saaransh'' where she earned a nomination for the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also starred in OTT series including, '' The Verdict - State vs Nanavati'', '' Out of Love'', '' This Way Up'', and '' Call My Agent: Bollywood''.

Early life

Soni Razdan grew up in Bombay, India.

Career

Early work and debut (1991–1998)

Razdan debuted in Hindi films in a supporting role with the 1981 film '' 36 Chowringhee Lane'' starring Jennifer Kendal. It also marked the directorial debut of Aparna Sen, who had until then been known as a leading actress of Bengali cinema. Razdan garnered mainstream attention for her appearance in the film. ''36 Chowringhee Lane'' was also entered in the first edition of the Manila International Film Festival, where it won the top prize. Scholar Wimal Dissanayake sees the film as a portrayal of the patriarchal social system: "The film portrays the plight of a lonely woman in a society that cares little for questions of female subjectivity and self-fulfillment. In popular culture the title of the film has become symbolic of the city of Kolkata, particularly its cuisine. A Bangalore restaurant is called 36 Chowringhee Lane. A fast-food chain in Delhi is called 34 Chowringhee Lane. Then she also appeared in Ahista Ahista directed by Esmayeel Shroff. It is a remake of the Kannada film '' Gejje Pooje''.

In 1983, she appeared in film called '' Mandi'' directed by Shyam Benegal. Based on a classic Urdu short story Aanandi by writer Ghulam Abbas, the film narrates the story of a brothel, situated in the heart of a city, an area that some politicians want for its prime locality. The film is a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution. Her major breakthrough came in 1984 film '' Saaransh''. It is about an elderly Maharashtrian couple living in Mumbai who come to terms with the loss of their only son. It was directed by her now husband Mahesh Bhatt. It was also chosen as India's official entry for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but it was not nominated. Her performance in the film was critically appreciated by the audience for which she earned a nomination for the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1985, Razdan had two release in the year which was the Historical drama '' Trikal'' (alongside Leela Naidu, Naseeruddin Shah and Neena Gupta) and the Thriller '' Khamosh'' (alongside Shabana Azmi and again with Naseeruddin Shah), both of which were critically and commercially successful. In 1986, Razdan starred in an English-language Indian film named '' On Wings of Fire''. From 1990-1993, Razdan appeared in 6 films. Including — '' Daddy'', '' Sadak'', '' Saathi'', '' Sir'', '' Gumrah'', and '' Gunaah''. Mostly she appeared as a supporting roles.

In 1998, Razdan appeared as a lead in the Canadian film named '' Such a Long Journey'', co-starring Roshan Seth and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. The story, based on the novel of the same name written by Rohinton Mistry. The film was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Career slump and hiatus (2001–2019)

In 2001, she appeared in the comedy film, '' Monsoon Wedding''. ''Monsoon Wedding'' premiered in the Marché du Film section of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and went on to win the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival and receive a Golden Globe Award nomination while grossing over $30 million internationally at the box office. A musical based on the film premiered on Broadway in April 2014. In 2017, IndieWire named it the 19th best romance of the 21st century. Between 2004-2013, she appeared in many films including, '' Dobara'', ''Page 3'', '' Jaan-E-Mann'', '' Dil Dosti Etc'', '' Patiala House'',

Razdan directed a film called ''Love Affair'' that was expected to be released in 2016, but did not.
She acted in Meghna Gulzar's ''Raazi'' which also starred her daughter Alia in the lead role. This was the first time when she shared the screen with Alia where she played the character of Alia's mother. Soni played the lead role in the film Yours Truly where she portrayed the character of a lonely middle-aged government employee Mithi Kumar. Reviewer from '' The Quint'' writes, Sanjoy Nag uses silence as a tool to help us understand Mithi better, and Razdan embraces that silence. She is brave yet afraid, stoic yet vulnerable, lonely yet hopeful.

In 2019, she appeared in '' Noblemen'', '' No Fathers in Kashmir'' and '' War''.

Personal life

She is the mother of Shaheen Bhatt and actress Alia Bhatt, step mother of Pooja Bhatt & Rahul Bhatt.

Razdan has stated that she has lived in India since she was a 3 month old and that she carries an Overseas Citizenship of India.

Filmography

Films

Television

Accolades

References

External links

*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Razdan, Soni
Living people
1956 births
Actresses from Birmingham, West Midlands
British people of Indian descent
British people of Kashmiri descent
Converts to Islam
British Muslims
British people of German descent
Bhatt family
British film actresses
British television actresses
British women film directors
British emigrants to India
British expatriate actresses in India
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Hindi-language film directors
Actresses in Hindi television
20th-century British actresses
21st-century British actresses
People with Overseas Citizenship of India