Actor Pooja Bedi recently opened up about her marriage to Farhan Furniturewala and the reasons behind why it ultimately didn’t work out.
What’s Happening
- In a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Pooja Bedi spoke about how her marriage to Farhan came with cultural challenges, leading her to give up her flourishing film career.
- “I got married to Farhan, who came from a conservative Muslim family, and there was no way on earth his family was going to accept a bahu who went to film sets. In those days, there was a lot of gossip in the film industry, and every time a film released, they tried to link you up with the heroes, all that drama would go on. I don’t think there was any way they were going to accept a bahu of the house who was still working in films.”
- She continued to say, “I think they allowed me to work in films because, back then, once you got married, you stopped doing films, you were off the shelf. Not like today. Today, you can be married and still be in films. You could have kids and still be welcome to play the heroine in films. Cinema has evolved, and audiences have evolved a lot as well. Back then, it was a completely different ballgame. Also, a ‘sexy bahu’ or a ‘sex-symbol bahu’ would have been a lot for them to handle.”
- She added that she made a conscious decision to step away from the industry and embrace her new life. “I thought about it, and I was like, ‘If I’m going to do something, I want to do it well and with full respect. I don’t want to walk into a family and make people there uncomfortable. So, either don’t get married because it’s going to create chaos, or let yourself fit into that world and see what it’s all about.’ I then returned all the signing amounts for all the films that I’d committed to; there were quite a few. My Kamasutra ad campaign had come up for renewal, and I had to reject that as well, even though I was offered about eight times the amount that they paid me originally.”
Background
Reflecting on their relationship, Pooja said that while the two shared love and mutual respect, there were aspects that simply didn’t work.
“It was a conscious decision by both of us to always be respectful and kind. We have two beautiful children, and we are best friends today. I love his current wife, Laila,” she said.
The Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar actor further explained that she and Farhan decided to part ways before their relationship turned bitter.
Pooja Bedi married Farhan Furniturewala in 1994. The couple welcomed their daughter, actor Alaya F, in 1997, followed by their son, Omar. The two divorced in 2003 after nearly a decade of marriage.