Poonam Dhillon (born 18 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. A former Eve's Weekly Miss Young India 1978,she is best known for her 1979 film Noorie. Some of her well-known films include Red Rose (1980), Dard (1981), Romance (1983), Sohni Mahiwal (1984), Teri Meherbaniyan (1985) Samundar (1986), Saveraywali Gaadi (1986), Karma (1986), Naam (1986), Ek Chadar Maili Si (1986) and Maalamaal (1988).

Dhillon participated in Bigg Boss in 2009. She played the lead role of Sharda Modi in the Sony TV series Ekk Nayi Pehchaan in 2013. She has done theatre, including the award-winning play The Perfect Husband and The Perfect Wife with several shows in United States and Dubai.

Career

Dhillon first gained fame when she was crowned Miss Young India 1978.Trivia – Celebrity Snippets – Femina Miss India – Indiatimes . The Times of India. Retrieved 20 February 2012.

Director Yash Chopra offered her a role in the film Trishul (1978) where her song "Gapoochi Gapoochi Gum Gum" with Sachin Pilgaonkar became popular. Chopra then gave her the title role in Noorie (1979) opposite Farooq Shaikh, which he produced. The low budget film Noorie shot in Bhaderwah, Kashmir, became a superhit and was a phenomenal success at the box office, partly also for Khayyam's music. For this film, Poonam was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Subsequently, she went on to act in around 90 films in Hindi, including Sohni Mahiwal, Red Rose, Teri Kasam, Dard, Nishana, Yeh Vaada Raha, Samunder, Romance, Kasam, and Sitamgar. She was paired with Rajesh KhannaBirthday Special: Rajesh Khanna – 6 . Entertainment.in.msn.com (29 December 2011). Retrieved 20 February 2012. in six films: Dard, Nishaan, Zamana, Awam, Red Rose (1980 film) and Jai Shiv Shankar.A rose by any name. The Economic Times. (17 November 2007). Retrieved 20 February 2012. She made a special appearance in Judaai as a favour to producer Boney Kapoor when Juhi Chawla had to drop out.

She also appeared in regional films such as Nyay Danda (Bengali), Yuddha Kaanda (Kannada), Ishtam (Telugu) and Yavarum Nalam (Tamil), 13B: Fear Has a New Address (Hindi).

Dhillon was a contestant on Season 3 of Bigg Boss aired on Colors TV in 2009. She ended up as the second runner-up on the show. Her big comeback on Indian television in a lead role was with the serial Ekk Nayi Pehchaan on Sony TV in 2013 where she played the uneducated yet ideal wife of a rich businessman.

She has been in the Hindi theater production The Perfect Husband, which won the best comedy play award in 2005 and which completed a Golden jubilee run. She then did another play The Perfect Wife co-starring Sooraj Thapar and Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi with Asif Sheikh. She was also seen in a play called U Turn which is the Hindi version of a Marathi play.

Dhillon ventured into the make-up van business in 1991 pioneering the concept in the Indian film industry. She runs a make-up van company called "Vanity."

Personal life Dhillon was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Amreek Singh was an aeronautical engineer in the Indian Air Force and would often get transferred. Her mother was a school principal, and both her siblings are doctors. Poonam was quite studious growing up and aspired to become a doctor. Poonam attended Carmel Convent, Chandigarh for schooling and did her graduation after joining films at age 16.

Dhillon was married to producer Ashok Thakeria and has two children, a daughter Paloma. and a son Anmol.

Activism and politics She has been very active with social causes like drug awareness, AIDS awareness, family planning and organ donation.

She has been a prominent speaker at the SAARC business summits in Kathmandu and Delhi and was appointed cultural ambassador. She was also a speaker at the MINDMINE event. In 2012, she along with other celebrities participated in a show supporting the "Save and Empower the Girl Child" cause in collaboration with Lilavati Hospital.

In 2014, she launched an event management and film production company called "Poetic Justice Films and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd." with industrialist Aneel Murarka and choreographer Samir Tanna.

In 2017, Dhillon was appointed as one of four members to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, which is the official body for appeals against decisions of the Central Board of Film Certification in the Indian film industry.

Dhillon joined the Bhartiya Janta Party in 2004 and was appointed vice president of the Mumbai unit of the party in 2019.

Filmography Films Note: all films are in Hindi, unless otherwise noted. Year FilmRoleNotes 1978 TrishulKusumDebut film 1979 Kaala PattharGuest appearance NoorieNoorie 1980 Red RoseSharda NishanaKavita 1981 BaseraaSarita Aapas Ki BaatKajal Dard Poonam Bhargav Main Aur Mera HaathiMeena/Julie PoonamPoonam Biwi-O-BiwiAsha1982 SawaalSonia Teri KasamDolly Yeh To Kamaal Ho GayaPriya Yeh Vaada RahaSunita 1983 NishanGulabo QayamatSudha RomanceSonia 1984 Baadal John Jani JanardhanCheryl Mendez LailaLaila Sohni MahiwalSohni YaadgarNaini 1985 BepanaahKalpana GeraftaarAnuradha Kabhi Ajnabi TheAsha Shiva Ka InsaafNisha SitamgarNisha TawaifKaynat Mirza Teri MeherbaniyanBijli ZamanaSheetal 1986 AvinashDr. Sapna Dosti DushmaniLata Ek Chadar Maili SiRaji KarmaTulsi Khel Mohabbat KaLily/Shyamoli NaamSeema Palay KhanZulekha Khan SamundarAnjali Saveray Wali GaadiJyoti 1987 Himmat Aur MehanatSharda AwamSushma Mard Ki ZabaanLata 1988Hum Farishte NahinSunita KasamSavi MaalamaalPoonam Malhotra Sone Pe SuhaagaAdvocate Shraddha 1989 Yuddha KaandaSunitaKannada film Batwara AbhimanyuTulsi/Kelly Galiyon Ka BadshahMadhuDelayed release Hisaab Khoon KaAnu/AnitaDouble role SaayaSupriya 1990VidrohiKiran Jai Shiv ShankarUnreleased Amiri GaribiRani Atishbaz Pathar Ke InsanSeeta Police PublicKaruna 1991 DeshwasiRakshya Jhoothi Shaan Qurbani Rang LayegiBasantiDelayed release 1997 JudaaiNisha KadoriaGuest appearance MahaantaDelayed release 2001 Ishtam LakshmiTelugu film 2009 Dil Bole Hadippa!Yamini Singh 13B Sushma 2011 Kunasathi KunitariMarathi film Miley Naa Miley HumShalini Mehra 2013 Ramaiya VastavaiyaAshwini Kapoor 2014 Double Di TroublePunjabi film 2016Salaam MumbaiKarishma's mother 2020 Jai Mummy DiPinky Bhalla 2022 Plan A Plan B Kiran2025Jaggo Aayi AaPreetam KaurPunjabi film

Television Year Show(s) Role Notes 1995 Andaz Pooja 2000 The Chust Drust show Host 2002–2004 Kittie Party Manju 2009 Bigg Boss 3 Contestant Second runner-up2012–2014 Dil Diyan Gallan Dil Hi Jaane... Bhupinder Punjabi-language television series 2013–2014 Ekk Nayi Pehchaan Sharda2015Santoshi MaaHerself / narrator 2018 Dil Hi Toh Hai Mamta Noon2018Pratigya - Stand For a CauseHost2021Dil Bekaraar Mamta Thakur Web Series on Disney+ Hotstar

Accolades

Award Year Work Award Category Result 1980 Noorie 27th Filmfare Awards Best Actress 2015 Ekk Nayi Pehchaan Indian Telly Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Drama)

References

External links