In a career spanning more than two decades, Pooja Bedi has often taken a multi-faceted approach towards her work. She began as a model – known for bold choices in advertisements – then went on to work in cinema. She became a stage and television actor, only to eventually start her own charitable organisation.

The other thing about Pooja Bedi is the fact of her tumultuous love life – similar to her father Kabir Bedi. She first dated the Bollywood bad-boy Aditya Pancholi, and then went on to marry Farhan Furniturewala with whom she had a son and a daughter. The marriage didn’t last, and Pooja went straight into the arms of the choreographer Hanif Hilal. It is not the end of the story though, and she was thereafter spotted dating a United Nations official named Dwiti Vikramaditya. Her last recorded fling was with her Bigg Boss fellow contestant Akashdeep Saigal. Even that relationship did not last very long.

That’s quite a love life but why didn’t all those relationships last long? We take a closer look at the reasons and that one Pooja Bedi marriage.

Pooja Bedi – The Actress And Controversial Model

Pooja Bedi was born on 11th May 1970 as the daughter of the popular actor Kabir Bedi and the late Indian dancer Protima Bedi. She received all of her education in Mumbai, and after her graduation, decided to give modelling a shot. As a model, she was known for her bold choices of assignments especially in print media. She was later noticed by a Bollywood casting director at a party in the US, and was offered her a role in an unknown film. However, it was her work in the Aamir Khan starrer Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1991) that brought Pooja into the limelight. After her debut, Pooja went on to play several supporting roles in many other films of various genres.

From the late 1990s, she shifted her focus primarily towards stage and television, and made appearances as a host in several television shows. Her most notable appearance on television has been in the reality TV show Bigg Boss in the year 2011. Pooja later even started a charitable organisation called The Grassroots Foundation with herself as chairperson.

Aditya Pancholi – An Ugly Ending

Somewhere around 1993, Pooja started seeing Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi. It is said that they were already friends since many years, and it was only when Aditya’s marriage with his wife Zarina Wahab went through a rough patch that he began to seek solace in Pooja. Aditya had a certain notoriety in the show business to be a short-tempered, opportunistic Casanova but it was not that Pooja was oblivious to the fact.

In fact when Pooja was seeing Aditya she was also seeing the businessman Farhan Furniturewalla (more about him later). But Pooja continued sailing two boats at once – so much to the point that Aditya even shifted to Pooja’s place when his relation with his wife Zarina Wahab turned awry.

Things may have continued that way had Aditya not developed carnal relations with the 15-year old maid at Pooja’s place. While Aditya was known for his cravings for worldly pleasures, he took things too far this time. Pooja was stunned when her maid shared the story, and she immediately showed her beau the door. It was then only Farhan in her life, and Aditya was history.

20 years after their breakup, Aditya and Pooja were spotted sharing some friendly moments together at a party in 2013. Later when the duo were quizzed about their reconciliation, they shared that they have buried the hatchet and become good friends.

Farhan Furniturewalla – The Lone Husband From The Many Beaus

After the Aditya chapter of her life ended abruptly, Pooja shifted her entire attention towards her relationship with the Mumbai-based businessman Farhan Furniturewalla. Farhan is known to be a good friend of Kabir Bedi, and perhaps it is through the ‘Bedi connection’ he met Kabir’s daughter. They started off as friends though, and it was Farhan who was keen on having a permanent relationship with Pooja, but she kept postponing it. But after Aditya was out of her life, she perhaps realised the value of this other guy, and soon started sending out amorous signals.

By early 1994, Pooja and Farhan were seeing each other, and Farhan soon proposed to Pooja, who accepted. Pooja married Farhan on 6th May 1994 in Mumbai in a private wedding ceremony. The couple was blessed with a daughter, Aalia Furniturewalla, in 1997; and a son, Omar Ebrahim, in 2000.

The Not So Happily Ever After

It seemed that Pooja had finally found the permanent anchor of her life in her husband Farhan. After all they had a family together, and their marriage was free of any infidelity rumours. But like the rot starts from inside, it was the resentment between the couple that finally paved way to much serious outcomes.

“Farhan and I realised that things were not working out. We had grown apart and decided not to stick on in a relationship with words such as ‘endured’ and ‘tolerated’. We were divorced on Valentine’s Day in 2003, but continue being friends.”
– Pooja Bedi about her divorce with Farhan Furniturewalla

What exactly sparked the discord is not known even till today but many sources close to the couple share that they had just grown ‘bored’ of being with each other. Both had very similar temperaments when it comes to relationships and the monotony of being with the same person for nine years was too much for these extroverts to bear. They tried spicing things up once in a while but failed to create that same flaming desire they once shared.

While it is sad to see marriages break, Pooja never regretted leaving Farhan, and even he is known to be very gung-ho about it. He later married Feroz Khan’s daughter Laila Khan.

“I don’t miss Farhan as a husband.”
– Pooja Bedi about her ex-husband Farhan Furniturewalla

Hanif Hilal – The Choreographer Love Interest

In the year 2007, Pooja Bedi participated in the reality TV show Jhalak Dikhlaja where she gave some splendid dance performances with the dancer and choreographer Hanif Hilal. Pooja met Hanif on the sets of the show, and the two were paired together to be one of the competing dance couples. While they were cheered for their dance performances, they were swaying to their very own tunes in personal life. Somewhere through the making of the show the couple initiated a real life fling, and the next thing you know is that Pooja became the dance buddy of Hanif for all his performances throughout the world.

The relationship, although superficially romantic, was primarily fuelled by selfish desires. Hanif always wanted a pretty face as a dancing partner, while Pooja wanted to boost her popularity. As long as the they made it worth for one another, they were ready to play along. But even a free ride lasts only till its destination, and once they realised that they have reaped enough benefits of their affiliation they started growing less interested in one another. Sources close to the couple shared that they never saw each other as ‘prospective life partners’ in the first place thus it made no sense to keep running those extra miles. Therefore, Pooja and Hanif decided to end their conditional relationship in late 2008 in an amicable manner, and made it a point to avoid crossing paths with each other in the future.

Dwiti Vikramaditya – The Low Profile Relationship

Around the time when Pooja broke-up with Hanif, she got involved with a certain Oriya gentleman named Dwiti Vikramaditya. No one knows when and how exactly Pooja met Dwiti – who resides in Bhubaneswar, and works for the UNDP – apart from being involved with a social sciences institute in his home city. It is speculated that she met him through the course of her work for her very own social service organisation.

Pooja and Dwiti started seeing one another in 2009, and their relationship was kept away from the media glare because Dwiti wanted to avoid the limelight. Unlike her relationship with Hanif, Pooja was serious with Dwiti, and even her children had developed an affinity towards their probable stepfather. Pooja seemed to have finally found the true love of her life, and this time it was she who took the lead in getting things rolling towards wedlock. She insisted Dwiti to speak to her parents about their marriage but Dwiti was a bit hesitant.

Unlike Pooja, Dwiti belonged to a conservative family. He had never spoken to his parents about Pooja since he was confident that they would not endorse a relationship with a lady from show business. Despite the hesitation he broke the news at home, and sought the permission of his parents for marriage, but as expected, they vehemently declined. Apparently, they had no objection towards Pooja per se, but had their inhibitions towards the success of the marriage since Pooja had a public record of failed relationships. Poor Dwiti now had to make a choice, and he chose family over Pooja, which left Pooja heartbroken.

It is said that Pooja was left traumatised after her breakup since she had high hopes with this one. She had even celebrated her 40th birthday in 2010 with Dwiti, and almost considered him a life partner. Although left in a gloom, her heartbreak did not last very long since she was soon going to find new arm candy.

Akashdeep Saigal – A Friend From The House

The year 2011 saw Pooja Bedi participate in the reality TV show Bigg Boss where celebrities live in seclusion for months. It is here that she developed an affinity towards one of the house mates, Akashdeep Saigal. Even after the completion of the show the two continued seeing one another. It was when media shutterbugs spotted Akashdeep’s right arm tattooed with Pooja’s name that everyone realised the seriousness of their relationship.

Pooja and Akashdeep soon became a fixture, and would arrive at every social event together. The couple had no qualms about making public displays of affection – to the extent that they would make other guests feel uncomfortable. Going by their rapport it was obvious that the two were attracted towards one another but sources close to Pooja stated that there was nothing more to their relationship than sheer attraction. This could have been the case since unlike her previous relationship, Pooja would refrain from giving details of her relationship and once intensely denied the rumours of having a live-in relationship with Akashdeep.

No one knows what the couple’s agenda with their relationship was, since Pooja was known for her tendency to move in and out of relationships. Even the media and tabloids had gotten bored of this couple. But in 2013, it was learnt that the duo have split due to unknown reasons that they had mutually agreed upon. Pooja never commented about her breakup thereafter nor did Akashdeep. But what about that ‘Pooja’ tattoo on his arm? Hope it was temporary ink.

So What Next?

Pooja has taken a more sombre approach towards life since her last breakup. In an interview she shared that her priority now is the upbringing of her children since they are taking their steps towards adulthood. Pooja’s daughter Aalia raised some eyebrows after posting some raunchy snaps on her Instagram account. But Pooja played it down stating that it is her life, and she is just a girl flowering into a beautiful woman. Now those are some thoughtful words there.

We hope Pooja finally finds someone with whom she can spend the rest of her life. Till then wishing her the best for life and its pursuits.

Images Source: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10

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