Yash Chopra launched Sonam Khan in Bollywood with Vijay in 1988.
Actress Sonam made her Bollywood debut with Yash Chopra’s Vijay. In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, she shared anecdotes about the filmmaker.
Bollywood actress Sonam Khan sat down for an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha and revealed Yash Chopra had asked her not to marry at the age of 18. The actress began her Bollywood career with Yash Chopra’s Vijay. She starred opposite Rishi Kapoor in the 1988 film. She did three more movies with the filmmaker and completed 35 films in total before she decided to give up her acting career to marry director Rajiv Rai. She was married to him for 25 years before they got a divorce.
Reflecting on her decision to give up her career, Sonam told us that Yash Chopra was not on board with her decision to marry this early in her life. “Before I got married, I got offered a film opposite Salman Khan. I was offered Salman’s Baaghi, I was offered Aaina by Yash Chopra ji, which eventually Amrita Singh ji did,” Sonam said before adding, “Yash Chopra told me, ‘Don’t get married, you are making a mistake.’ But I didn’t listen to him.”
“I gave up work at the age of 17, got married at the age of 18 and had a child before I turned 21. So I’ve been all over the world, trying to figure out things in life and eventually came back to India,” she said. Ask her if she regrets giving up her career, Sonam said, “Yes (there has been a sense of regret). No woman should give up work no matter what. Whether she is married to a popper or a billionaire, a woman should never give up her work because she is giving up her identity. So it’s a big mistake. Nonetheless, I have my son with me and regrets are useless. Moving on, I going to keep a lot of things in mind and I am going to be mindful.”
Sonam married Rajiv in 1991 and they welcomed a son, who they named Gaurav Rai. However, a few years after his birth, Gaurav was diagnosed with autism. Sonam revealed she dedicated most of her life to him and the family. However, she is now at a stage where she can make a comeback in Bollywood.
