'Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives': Who is Neelam Kothari Soni? Govinda to Bobby Deol, a look at her heartbreaks
Back in the day, Neelam Kothari was one of the most popular actresses of Bollywood. However, the glamorous star decided to retire early from stardom. But producers weren't ready to let go off her just yet. In the trailer for Netflix's upcoming show 'Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives', we see Neelam having a hearty laugh over a script alongside her actor husband- Samir Soni. Neelam can be said that she occasionally receives scripts from producers trying to get her to work in their projects, and she just reads them to laugh at them.
Born in Hong Kong, this gorgeous former actress caught the eye of director Ramesh Sethi, while vacationing in Mumbai. She made her acting debut with 'Jawaani', unfortunately, the film wasn't received well by the audience. But her acting skills were noticed by people, and she soon began receiving several offers despite her debut film not doing well. She became a household name following her role in the movie 'Ilzaam' alongside Govinda. While filming the movie, the two lead actors fell in love with each other.
Unfortunately for Neelam, Govinda was already married, so couldn't pursue the relationship. In an interview, the actor spoke about his love for Neelam and even his desire to marry her. He said, "Yes, I wanted to marry her (Neelam). And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I feel love and hatred are two emotions over which a man has no control. If you love somebody and they reciprocate, there’s nothing one can do about it. It is instinctive. What is under our control is our sense of duty and commitment. Neelam was the ideal girl, the kind every man visualizes for a life-partner. The kind of girl I wanted. But that was getting emotional. There was another practical side. Just because I had fallen in love elsewhere, I couldn’t overlook my commitment towards Sunita. If there was no sense of duty in a man, this would go on. Leave one for another and another for another…”
Soon after that, Neelam fell head-over-heels in love with another popular actor, Bobby Deol. After being in a relationship for five long years, the two decided to part ways. She spoke about the intense heartbreak that she experienced following their split, in a magazine interview. "Separation of any kind is a painful process. There’s bound to be pain if there is a parting. It’s almost like a surgery of emotions where one is removed from the other. But there is also the healing process that follows if the surgery is under healthy circumstances. And the more honest the split, the quicker you heal. Time becomes the balm which covers all the injury. And the strength has to come from within. I’m like that. I think a lot and I wait a long time before taking any major decision in my life. But once I’ve made that decision, it’s for keeps. It’s permanent. After that, there is no time or place for tears. You have to go on with life. I have so much life ahead of me. C’mon, don’t sound so dejected. I’m not. After all, I told you, the decision to part was mutual.”
Neelam eventually moved on, and ended up tying the knot to a businessman, Rishi Sethia, in 2000. Unfortunately, the couple divorced shortly. In 2011, she married Samir Soni, after being introduced to each other by producer, Ekta Kapoor. In 2013, Neelam and Samir adopted a baby girl.
'Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives' will be available for streaming on Netflix from November 27.