Neelam Kothari

Neelam Kothari Soni, known mononymously as Neelam, is an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with Jawaani (1984), followed it in various films opposite Govinda such as Love 86 (1986), Ilzaam (1986), Sindoor (1987), Khudgarz (1987), Hatya (1988), Farz Ki Jung (1989), Billoo Badshah (1989), Taaqatwar (1989) and Do Qaidi (1989); simultaneously starred opposite Chunky Pandey in films Aag Hi Aag (1987), Paap Ki Duniya (1988), Khatron Ke Khiladi (1988), Ghar Ka Chiraag (1989), and Mitti Aur Sona (1989).

Early life
Neelam Kothari Soni was born in Hong Kong to a Gujarati Indian father Shishir Kothari and Iranian mother Parveen Kothari. As a child, she learned to play the keyboard and danced Jazz Ballet. Her family has a traditional jewellery-making business, making high-class pieces. She was educated at Island School, where she was a member of Rutherford House. When she was a teenager, her family moved to Bangkok. When Neelam was on vacation in Mumbai she was approached by director Ramesh Behl. She decided to give acting a shot and signed Jawaani (1984) alongside Karan Shah, Tina Munim's nephew.

Acting
Though not a big hit commercially, Neelam's performance in her debut film was noticed and she received many offers. She gained popularity from her role in Ilzaam (1986) opposite debutant Govinda. She made a very popular pairing with Govinda and they starred in 14 movies. The bigger hits amongst them include Love 86 (1986), Khudgarz (1987), Hatya (1988) and Taaqatwar (1989). She gave five hits with Chunkey Pandey - Aag Hi Aag (1987), Paap Ki Duniya (1988), Khatron Ke Khiladi (1988), Mitti Aur Sona (1989) and Ghar Ka Chiraag (1989), out of the eight films she costarred with him (the other three were Zakham (1989 film), Khule-Aam and a Bengali film, Mandira). She has also worked in the Bengali film Badnam (1990) with Prosenjit Chatterjee.

Neelam has also appeared in the popular Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) where she played herself as a VJ and the ensemble family drama Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999) in which she played a pivotal supporting role. Her last film was the much-delayed Kasam (2001) opposite Chunky Pandey.

In 2020-22 she has appeared alongside Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey and Seema Sajdeh in 2 seasons of the reality television series Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives that streamed on Netflix.

Jewellery designing
Even while pursuing her career in acting, she was interested in jewellery designing and was involved in her family business. She followed a formal course in jewellery-designing in Mumbai and, after quitting films temporarily in 2001, started out commercially on her own under the name Neelam Jewels. She opened a showroom in Mumbai in 2004. She then launched her jewellery store in Mumbai on 25 August 2011 under the name Neelam Kothari Fine Jewels.

Other works
Neelam featured in Bina Mistry's Hot Hot Hot music video, a song that is part of a compilation of dance hits in the 1995 BMG release, titled Channel [V] Hits: The Ultimate Dance Collection. The song became a hit when it was featured as part of the soundtrack of Bend It Like Beckham (2002).

Personal life
In October 2000, Neelam married Rishi Sethia, the son of a businessman from the UK but they got divorced soon after. After a brief relationship with actor Samir Soni, she married him in 2011. In 2013, they adopted a daughter and named her Ahana.

In 1998, Neelam was charged with the Wildlife Act and the IPC for the poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani during the filming of Hum Saath Saath Hain, along with co-stars Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre and Tabu. She was acquitted by the CJM court at Jodhpur on 5 April 2018.