Meet actress who was a superstar at 18, became mother at 20, then quit acting at peak of her career because..
Sonam Khan's parents named her 'Bakhtavar' but when she entered the film world, legendary filmmaker the late Yash Chopra suggested she change it to Sonam to be more marketable in the film industry.
The '90s was one era that gave many superstar actresses to Bollywood who made a name for themselves at a young age. One such actress was Sonam Khan, who entered the film industry with the Telugu film 'Samrat', and then the very next year made her Hindi film debut opposite Rishi Kapoor in 'Vijay' (1988). Sonam Khan appeared in over 35 films from 1987 to 1994, but at the peak of her career, she bid farewell to the film world and quit acting.
Sonam Khan's parents named her 'Bakhtavar' but when she entered the film world, legendary filmmaker the late Yash Chopra suggested she change it to Sonam to be more marketable in the film industry. Sonam is the granddaughter of veteran actor Murad and the niece of Raza Murad.
Sonam Khan was a name to be reckoned with in the film industry and was touted as the next superstar but, in 1991, the actress fell in love with Rajiv Rai, producer Gulshan Rai’s son. The couple got married in the same year when Sonam Khan was just 18.
After marriage, Sonam Khan quit acting and committed herself to her family. The couple soon had a son, Gaurav Rai. In a 2023 interview, Sonam Khan revealed how she had a baby before turning 20 and spent most of her time travelling since then for the treatment of her son, who was diagnosed with autism.
Sonam Khan and Rajiv Rai moved to LA and finally settled in Europe for 20 years. However, their marriage soon saw a downfall and in 2016, after 15 years of separation, Sonam Khan and Rajiv Rai got divorced.
Sonam Khan now lives in Mumbai with her son Gaurav and is trying to make a comeback to the silver screen. In November 2023, Sonam Khan made her first public appearance after 30 years at the Jio World Plaza launch in Mumbai.