Over the years, many Bollywood actresses have mesmerised their fans with either their charming looks or effortless acting. Every decade, Hindi cinema is blessed with some iconic actresses who leave a permanent mark on the minds of their audience. One such actress of the late 70s and early 80s was Poonam Dhillon, who is one of the beautiful faces of Indian cinema and has aged like a fine wine.
Born in Kanpur and raised in Chandigarh, Poonam never thought of choosing the path of acting. She was quite studious and aspired to become a doctor, just like her siblings. But fate had other plans for Poonam, who gained fame for the first time when she participated in Miss Young India in 1978 and won the pageant. It was Yash Chopra, who saw her photograph in a magazine and offered her a role in Trishul in 1978.
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At the age of 16, Poonam made her Bollywood debut with Trishul. Poonam, who signed Trishul for fun, thought of going back to Chandigarh to complete her education. But soon, she got many offers, and she was signed by Yash Chopra for Noorie (1979). The film was a blockbuster, and its success made Poonam an instant star, and there was no looking back then.
Some of Poonam's hit films include Sohni Mahiwal, Teri Meherbaniyan, Samundar, Saveray Wali Gaadi, Karma, Naam, Maalamaal, and many others. While Poonam had a tremendous career, her love life was turbulent and controversial. Let us read about the heart-breaking love life of the doe-eyed beauty, Poonam Dhillon.
Filmmaker Ramesh Talwar came up with the story of Noorie to Yash Chopra and suggested Poonam Dhillon’s name. During the film, Ramesh and Poonam became friends. Ramesh was smitten by Poonam and fell madly in love with her. On the other hand, she considered him a good friend.
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By the early 1980s, the media had started reporting about Poonam and Ramesh’s affair, but the two always rubbished the gossip. Once, during the shoot of Yeh Vada Raha, a photographer had asked Rishi Kapoor to sit closer to Poonam Dhillon, and the late actor had reportedly said:
“Don’t be silly, yaar. She’s Ramesh Talwar’s exclusive property.”
There were also murmurs of Poonam and Ramesh’s secret engagement, and that the filmmaker even bought her a bungalow. However, their relationship came to an end when Poonam was linked with Yash Chopra, and a column published some nasty things about them.
Poonam was riding high on her professional front and was at the peak of her career when she met filmmaker, Raj Sippy, who was already a married man. Sparks flew between the two, and Poonam was head-over-heels in love with Raj. He was obviously not willing to leave his wife for Poonam and the couple broke up. Poonam was shattered by the breakup and many reports stated that she married producer, Ashok Thakeria on the rebound.
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After Poonam broke up with Raj Sippy, she lost her father, too, in a few months. Her family constantly pressured her to get married. At that time, she met film producer, Ashok Thakeria through a common friend. Ashok and Poonam met at their common friend’s Holi party. She was sitting in a corner and mourning the loss of her father.
Ashok, who was instantly attracted to her, poured a bucket of water on her. Although she was taken aback, Poonam somehow liked Ashok’s gesture and found it sweet. They spent the Holi party chatting with each other. Back home, Ashok kept wooing Poonam until she said yes to his marriage proposal.
In 1988, Poonam and Ashok got married, and she even decided to quit films. Poonam and Ashok Thakeria soon became parents and welcomed a son, Anmol Thakeria, and a daughter, Paloma Thakeria.
Soon after their marriage, troubles started cropping up in Poonam and Ashok’s lives. He got busy with films, and she took care of their home and kids. Poonam felt that the spark in their relationship was fading away, as he was hardly available for her. In 1994, their marriage crumbled after Ashok had an extramarital affair. Poonam and Ashok were officially granted divorce in 1997, and she retained custody of their two children, Anmol and Paloma.
Poonam Dhillon is quite active in social work, including drug awareness, organ donation, family planning, and many others. In 2014, she launched an event management and film production company. Poonam also appears in films and television. In 2004, the actress joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was appointed Vice President of the Mumbai unit of the party in 2019. As per multiple reports, Poonam Dhillon’s net worth is estimated to be around Rs 22 crores!
Although Poonam Dhillon had a dreamy debut in Bollywood, a tragic love life and multiple heartbreaks shattered her. She had seen the good, bad and ugly side of the glamour world and rose like a phoenix after the constant falls.
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