Soni Razdan
Soni Razdan | |
|---|---|
 Razdan in 2023 | |
| Born | 25 October 1956 Birmingham, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Shaheen Bhatt Alia Bhatt |
| Family | Bhatt family |
Soni Mahesh Bhatt,[1] born and known professionally as Soni Razdan, is a British actress and film director who works in Indian Hindi-language films.[2] Part of the Bhatt family of Indian cinema, she is married to film director Mahesh Bhatt and is the mother of actress Alia Bhatt. She made her acting debut as Rosemary in 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981). Her breakthrough came with drama film Saaransh (1984), earning a nomination for the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Razdan's other notable works includes Mandi (1983), Trikal (1985), Khamosh (1985), Such a Long Journey (1998), Raazi (2018), and Yours Truly (2018). Razdan has also starred in many OTT series including, The Verdict - State vs Nanavati, Out of Love, This Way Up, and Call My Agent: Bollywood.
Early life
[edit]Razdan[3][1] was born on 25 October 1956[3][4] in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, England to a British mother of German descent, Gertrude Hoelzer and an Indian father of Kashmiri Pandit descent, Narendra Nath Razdan. Soni Razdan grew up in Bombay, India.[5][6][7][8]
Career
[edit]Early Roles
[edit]Razdan started her career in English theatre with John Fowles' The Collector and her Hindi stage career with Bund Darvaze, Satyadev Dubey's adaptation of Jean Paul Sartre's No Exit.
Her photos were seen by Franco Zeffirelli who wanted to cast her as Mary in his miniseries, Jesus of Nazareth. The role, however, was given to Olivia Hussey and Razdan was cast as a young grieving mother as well as appearing as an extra in other scenes.[citation needed] Razdan debuted in Hindi films in a supporting role with the 1981 film 36 Chowringhee Lane starring Jennifer Kendal. It also marked the directorial debut of Aparna Sen, who had until then been known as a leading actress of Bengali cinema.[9] Razdan garnered mainstream attention for her appearance in the film. 36 Chowringhee Lane was also entered in the first edition of the Manila International Film Festival, where it won the top prize. Scholar Wimal Dissanayake sees the film as a portrayal of the patriarchal social system: "The film portrays the plight of a lonely woman in a society that cares little for questions of female subjectivity and self-fulfillment. In popular culture the title of the film has become symbolic of the city of Kolkata, particularly its cuisine. A Bangalore restaurant is called 36 Chowringhee Lane.[10] A fast-food chain in Delhi is called 34 Chowringhee Lane.[11] Then she also appeared in Ahista Ahista directed by Esmayeel Shroff.[12] It is a remake of the Kannada film Gejje Pooje.[13]
In 1983, she appeared in film called Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal. Based on a classic Urdu short story Aanandi by writer Ghulam Abbas, the film narrates the story of a brothel, situated in the heart of a city, an area that some politicians want for its prime locality.[14] The film is a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution. Her major breakthrough came in 1984 film Saaransh. It is about an elderly Maharashtrian couple living in Mumbai who come to terms with the loss of their only son. It was directed by her now husband Mahesh Bhatt. It was also chosen as India's official entry for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but it was not nominated. Her performance in the film was critically appreciated by the audience for which she earned a nomination for the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[15]
Razdan directed a film called Love Affair that was expected to be released in 2016, but did not.[16][17] She acted in Meghna Gulzar's Raazi which also starred her daughter Alia in the lead role. This was the first time when she shared the screen with Alia where she played the character of Alia's mother.[18] Soni played the lead role in the film Yours Truly where she portrayed the character of a lonely middle-aged government employee Mithi Kumar.[19] She also appeared as the Imaaduddin Shah's mother in the 2007 movie Dil Dosti Etc.[citation needed] In 2018, in the light of the MeToo movement Razdan said that once she was nearly raped by someone on a film set. They did not succeed and she did not file a complaint against the attempted rape.[20]
She appeared as Sulochana in the Doordarshan TV series Buniyaad. She also acted in Indian TV serials Saahil, Gaatha and has been a regular on Indian television.[21] In 2002, she turned to direction with Aur Phir Ek Din on Star Plus, a take-off on One Fine Day starring Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney.[21]
Personal life
[edit]Razdan married Indian film director Mahesh Bhatt on 20 April 1986. Bhatt did not want to divorce his first wife, so he and Razdan converted to Islam prior to marriage and held a very private nikaah ceremony. Upon converting to Islam Soni chose the name Sakina as her Muslim name.[22][23]
She is the mother of Shaheen Bhatt (born 28 November 1988) and actress Alia Bhatt (born 15 March 1993), step mother of Pooja Bhatt & Rahul Bhatt.[24]
Razdan has stated that she has lived in India since she was a 3 month old and that she carries an Overseas Citizenship of India.[25]
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 36 Chowringhee Lane | Rosemary Stoneham | |
| Ahista Ahista | Deepa | ||
| 1983 | Mandi | Nadira | |
| 1984 | Saaransh | Sujata Suman | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1985 | Trikaal | Aurora | |
| Khamosh | Herself | ||
| 1986 | On Wings of Fire | Thais | |
| 1998 | Such a Long Journey | Dilnavaz Noble | |
| 1990 | Daddy | Priya | |
| 1991 | Sadak | Special appearance | |
| Saathi | Tina | ||
| 1993 | Sir | Shobha Verma | |
| Gumrah | Angela | ||
| Gunaah | Gloria | ||
| 2001 | Monsoon Wedding | Saroj Rai | |
| 2004 | Dobara | Mrs. Devika Mehta | |
| 2005 | Page 3 | Anjali Thapar | |
| Nazar | — | Director | |
| 2006 | Jaan-E-Mann | Mrs. Goel | |
| 2007 | Dil Dosti Etc | Apurv's Mother | |
| 2011 | Patiala House | Dimple Bua | |
| Love Breakups Zindagi | Guest at wedding | ||
| 2013 | Shootout at Wadala | Manya's mother | |
| 2016 | Love Affair | — | Director |
| 2018 | Raazi | Teji Khan | |
| Yours Truly | Mithi Kumar | ||
| 2019 | Noblemen | Shruti Sharma | |
| No Fathers in Kashmir | Halima | ||
| War | Nafeesa Rahmani | ||
| 2021 | Sardar Ka Grandson | Simi | Netflix film |
| 2023 | Pippa | Maati | |
| TBA | Songs of Paradise | [26] |
Television
[edit]| Year | Show | Role | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Jesus of Nazareth | Lily | Rai 1 |
| 1986 | Buniyaad | Sulochana (Lochan) | DD National |
| 2017 | Love Ka Hai Intezaar | Rajmata Rajeshwari Ranawat | Star Plus |
| 2019 | The Verdict - State vs Nanavati | Mehra Nanavati | ALTBalaji and ZEE5 |
| Out of Love | Mrs. Kapoor | Hotstar | |
| This Way Up | Kavita, Vish's mother | Channel 4 | |
| 2021 | Call My Agent: Bollywood | Treasa | Netflix |
| 2024 | Tanaav | SonyLIV season 2 |
Awards and Nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Saaransh | Nominated | [27] |
| Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Soni Mahesh Bhatt". zaubacorp.com. Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
- ^ "Soni BHATT". gov.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Soni Bhatt". Companies House. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ On Soni Razdan's Birthday: Alia Bhatt Shares Pic From the Day She Sat on Her Lap. Hindustan Times. 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Karl Hoelzer, Alia's great grandfather dared to take on the Nazi regime in his own small way and paid a very heavy price for it". Retrieved 11 February 2014.[non-primary source needed]
- ^ "BUT LITTLE DID ALIA's GRANDMA GERTRUDE KNOW that her tragic story would have a happy ending". Retrieved 11 February 2014.[non-primary source needed]
- ^ expressindia, daily news (30 January 2001). "I'll voice the worries of Kashmiri muslim".
- ^ "@PoojaB1972 @MaheshNBhatt @AdrianMLevy I'm half Kashmiri Pandit and Half German..also an atheist and have not imposed any faith on my kids". Retrieved 18 January 2014.[non-primary source needed]
- ^ Sen, Aparna. "'If I'd made more compromises I may have been more successful' – Rediff On The Net, Movies: An interview with Aparna Sen". Retrieved 29 January 2013.
- ^ "36 Chowringhee Lane in BTM Layout 1st stage, Bangalore – Buzzintown". Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- ^ "34, Chowringhee Lane". Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ^ "Ahista Ahista is a celluloid edifice built on prefabricated blocks of tear-jerker tragedy". India Today. 15 December 1981. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "Eight Sandalwood films that have been remade in other languages". The News Minute. 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ "Mandi". IMDb.
- ^ "Anupam Kher talks about how Mahesh Bhatt's Saaransh changed his life". The Times of India. 18 February 2014. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ^ "Soni Razdan's directorial venture to go on floors in 2016". The Indian Express. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ "Soni Razdan's Love Affair put on hold, to do a TV series first?". 6 March 2017.
- ^ "Raazi movie: Soni Razdan explains why she wanted to hug daughter Alia during the shoot".
- ^ "In Yours Truly, Soni Razdan Shines In An Elegant Ode To Middle-Aged Longing". Film Companion. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ^ "Alia Bhatt's mom Soni Razdan: I was nearly raped on a film set". India Today. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ a b The Tribune, Spectrum (13 August 2006). "Soni Razdan returns". TheTribune.com.
- ^ "Flashback Friday:The Hushed Wedding of Mahesh Bhatt & Soni Razdan". 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "The Saraansh of Mahesh Bhatt's life | undefined News - Times of India". The Times of India. 18 January 2003.
- ^ "Rediff On The Net, Movies: An interview with Soni Razdan".
- ^ Razdan, Soni [@Soni_Razdan] (16 April 2019). "I do actually. My father is Indian. Lived in India since I was 3 months old. Pay taxes. Hold an Overseas Citizen of India card. If my hard earned income is good enough to be used to better this nation then I have a right to voice my opinions too. #VoteOutHate" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Saba Azad to play Raj Begum in Danish Renzu's Songs of Paradise - Exclusive". The Times of India. 25 September 2022.
- ^ "All Filmfare Awards Winners".
External links
[edit]- Living people
- 1956 births
- Actresses from Birmingham, West Midlands
- British people of Indian descent
- British people of Kashmiri descent
- Converts to Islam
- British Muslims
- British people of German descent
- Bhatt family
- British film actresses
- British television actresses
- British women film directors
- British emigrants to India
- British expatriate actresses in India
- European actresses in India
- Actresses of European descent in Indian films
- Actresses in Hindi cinema
- Hindi-language film directors
- Actresses in Hindi television
- 20th-century British actresses
- 21st-century British actresses
- People with Overseas Citizenship of India