Who Is Yesteryear Actress, Sonam Khan? From Being A Star 18, Marrying At 19, To Getting Divorced

The 90's era of Bollywood was different for actresses. Most of them were in their late teens, and one of them was yesteryear actress, Sonam Khan. She was a promising name in the Hindi film industry during the 90's and shot to fame with her 1989 movie, Tridev. Her song, Tirchi Topi Wale had garnered a lot of fame. Sonam's initial name was Bakhtavar Khan, and she is the granddaughter of veteran star, Murad is also the niece of, Raza Murad. It was Yash Chopra who reportedly had given the actress the name 'Sonam'. It is said that the filmmaker liked the name and found it more reliable and marketable for a heroine.

Sonam Khan's journey into the films

On February 4, 2025, Sonam took to her Instagram to share her first photoshoot or portfolio shoot ever. The actress posted an unseen picture from her teens, and in her caption revealed being in her 'Batto & Bakhtawar' survival mode. She was not given her screen name then of 'Sonam', nor did she know a name like 'Sonam' existed. Sonam, in her post, also shared that in her 3-year acting career, she was always extremely focused on survival. Being the only child, her survival instinct was to first protect and provide for her parents and then herself. Fear had no space or place in her life, and everything else just fell into place.

It was at the mere age of 15 when Sonam made her Telugu debut with the movie Samrat and then made her Bollywood debut at the age of 16 in Vijay. Back in 1989, when Tridev was released, she hogged overnight fame due to the movie and the song, Tirchi Topiwale.

Sonam Khan and Rajiv Rai's love story that landed in divorce after 25 years of formal marriage

Sonam worked in more than 20 movies, including Kroadh, Ajooba, and Vishwatma. It was in 1991 when she met film producer Rajiv Rai, son of Gulshan Rai. Reportedly, they had met on the sets and dated for three years before getting married. Sonam was 19 when she married, and her husband was 17 years older. She bid goodbye to the movies after reportedly doing 25 movies, the last being Insaaniyat, which was released in 1994.

Sonam Khan and Rajiv Rai's divorce

Reportedly, Sonam was 20 when she was blessed with a son who was autistic. The couple had moved abroad to seek help to manage his condition. It is said in 2001, they separated but did not dissolve their marriage. However, it was in 2016 when the ex-pair separated and revealed irreconcilable differences as the cause. A source close to SpotboyE revealed:

"The marriage was over since nearly 20 years. Rajiv grew up in a boarding school. After he came back from boarding, he was a completely different child. There was no angst in him but he was extremely detached from the world. He couldn't get close to even a friend and have feelings for him."

The source further said that Rajiv was extremely aloof and always in his own world. Sonam felt very neglected. People close to them even spoke about how this was a love marriage. Rajiv seldom spent quality time with her. Even when it came to parenting their son Gaurav, Rajiv was hardly around.

What do you think of Sonam Khan's personal life?

Also Read: Aaradhya Bachchan's Fake News Case: From False News About Her Death To Plastic Surgery Reports

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