Early Life
Poonam Dhillon was born in Kanpur, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Her father was an engineer in the Indian Air Force. Her mother worked as a school principal. Poonam was a good student. She wanted to become a doctor when she grew up.
She has one brother and one sister. Both of them became doctors. Her family gave a lot of importance to education.
Winning Beauty Contests
When Poonam was only 16 years old, she won a beauty contest called Miss Young India in 1978. She had also won the Femina Miss India title in 1977. Because of these wins, many people noticed her and she started getting offers to act in movies.
How She Got Her First Movie
A very famous movie director named Yash Chopra saw Poonam’s photo in a magazine. He offered her a small role in a movie called Trishul. At first, Poonam and her parents said no. They only agreed after the director promised that her studies would not be affected.
At that time, Poonam was living in Chandigarh and studying there. She thought it would be fun to act in one movie, but she still planned to continue her studies and not become a full-time actress.
Big Success with Noorie
Poonam’s second movie was called Noorie. It became a big hit in 1979. Many people liked her acting and she got nominated for a Filmfare award. This was a very big deal because she was new and competing with very famous actresses.
While shooting for Noorie, she was still a student. She had to take her exams in the morning and shoot for the movie in the evening. The director, Yash Chopra, helped by arranging flights for her so she could do both.
More Movies and Fame
After Noorie, Poonam acted in many more popular movies in the 1980s. Some of her famous films are:
- Dard
- Yeh Vaada Raha
- Romance
- Sohni Mahiwal
- Teri Meherbaniyan
- Naam
She acted with some of the most famous heroes of that time and became a well-known actress.
She Stood Up for Herself
Poonam was only 16 when she acted in Trishul. In one scene, the director asked her to wear a bikini. But she refused and asked for a full dress instead. People were surprised that she said no, but later they respected her for being confident and standing up for herself.
A Smart Business Idea
Poonam also did something very smart for the film industry. In 1991, she started a company called Vanity. This company gave actors mobile rooms where they could do makeup and rest during outdoor shoots. These were called vanity vans. Today, almost every actor uses a vanity van on movie sets. The name vanity van became common because of her company.
Her Family Life
In 1988, Poonam got married to a film producer named Ashok Thakeria. They had a son and a daughter. After nine years of marriage, they got divorced in 1997. Poonam later said that she was scared people in the film industry would treat her badly after the divorce, but most people continued to respect her.
Work in Television and Theatre
Poonam also worked on TV and in theatre. She was a contestant on the reality show Bigg Boss Season 3 in 2009 and came in third place. Later, she acted in a TV serial called Ekk Nayi Pehchaan where she played a strong mother. She also acted in plays like The Perfect Husband and The Perfect Wife in India and abroad.
What She Thinks About the Film Industry
Poonam once said that many actresses in her time had to act quiet or shy to avoid unwanted attention. She said they did this to stay safe and respected on film sets. She also said that the late actress Sridevi was very smart and people were wrong to think she was simple.
Her Legacy
Poonam Dhillon never planned to become an actress. She only wanted to act in one movie and go back to her studies. But her talent and hard work made her one of the most loved stars in Bollywood. She also helped improve how movies are made by introducing the vanity van.
Her story shows that sometimes life has different plans for us. With courage and smart thinking, we can turn even surprises into success.
