Samir Soni
Encyclopedia
Samir Soni (born 29 September 1960) is an Indian actor and a model who appears in Bollywood
films.
Hindu
family in London
, United Kingdom and attended school at St. Xavier's School, Delhi
. He graduated from University of California, Los Angeles
in Economics.
Prior to his Bollywood career, Samir was an investment banker with one of the bulge bracket firms on Wall Street in New York, before coming back to India to start modeling. He has attended acting courses in New York and Los Angeles.
's A Mouthful Of Sky
, based on Ashok Banker
's script and directed by Mahesh Bhatt
. He made his film debut opposite actress Mamta Kulkarni
in China Gate
(1998), though it was followed by forgettable cameos in films.
In 2003
, Samir shot to fame by appearing in the film Baghban
and played lead roles in Basti
and Kahan Ho Tum. In that same year, Soni also worked in the popular television series Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
that aired on Sony
. In 2004, he worked in another popular show on Sony channel called Saaksshi.
Soni featured as one of the contestants in the reality television show Bigg Boss 4
in 2010. He was evicted from the house a week prior to the grand finale.
Sameer soon to be seen as main lead in Balaji Telefilms
new show Parichay
on Colors .
On 24 January 2011, he married former actress Neelam Kothari.
}
|-
| 1998
|| China Gate
|| Uditanshu Tandon ||
|-
| 2001
|| Lajja
|| Manish ||
|-
| 2002
|| Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum || Sameer Shastri ||
|-
| 2003
|| Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
|| Purab Mehra ||
|-
| 2003
|| Dance Like A Man || Vishal ||
|-
| 2003 || Kahan Ho Tum || Jai ||
|-
| 2003 || Basti
|| Ramesh "Rama" Kulkarni ||
|-
| 2003 || Baghban || Sanjay Malhotra ||
|-
| 2004
|| Saaksshi
|| Shekhar Sengupta ||
|-
| 2004 || Dil Kya Chahta Hai || Ram ||
|-
| 2006
|| Vivah || Sunil ||
|-
| 2008
|| Fashion
|| Rahul Arora ||
|-
| 2010 || I Hate Luv Storys
||Veer Kapoor ||
|-
| 2010 || Bigg Boss (season 4)
||Sameer Soni ||
|-
| 2011 || Parichay
|| Kunal Chopra ||
|-
|}
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
films.
Biography
Soni was born on 1970 to a PunjabiPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
family in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom and attended school at St. Xavier's School, Delhi
St. Xavier's School, Delhi
St. Xavier's School, Delhi, India, is a Roman Catholic Christian, co-educational school from prep to grade 12 founded and run by Jesuits. The school is located on Raj Niwas Marg in the Civil Lines area of Delhi, India...
. He graduated from University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in Economics.
Prior to his Bollywood career, Samir was an investment banker with one of the bulge bracket firms on Wall Street in New York, before coming back to India to start modeling. He has attended acting courses in New York and Los Angeles.
Acting career
Soni made his debut in the Hindi serial Samandar based on Navy officers. In 1996, he appeared as Ashok Mathur in DoordarshanDoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
's A Mouthful Of Sky
A Mouthful of Sky
A Mouthful of Sky was the first serial in English to be produced in India. Aired on the state-owned Doordarshan TV channel and based on the script by Ashok Banker, the serial deals with the lives, loves, ideals and aspirations of the post-independence generation of Indians, people in their...
, based on Ashok Banker
Ashok Banker
Ashok Kumar Banker is a novelist and short story writer living in Mumbai, India. He has written professionally since his early teens, and has worked as a door-to-door surveyor for market research firms, a print journalist, columnist, scriptwriter for television series and documentaries, and in...
's script and directed by Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt , is a prominent Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.Bhatt's early directional career consisted of acclaimed films, such as Arth, Saaransh, Janam, Naam and Zakhm....
. He made his film debut opposite actress Mamta Kulkarni
Mamta Kulkarni
Mamta Mukhund Kulkarni is a former Bollywood Actress. During the 90s, she was part of several commercial successes such as Karan Arjun , Sabse Bada Khiladi , Aashiq Awara , Krantiveer among others.-Acting career:Kulkarni made her debut through the Tamil film Nanbargal which was released...
in China Gate
China Gate
China Gate may refer to:* China Gate , a Hindi film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi* China Gate , a Hollywood film directed by Samuel Fuller and starring Gene Barry and Angie Dickinson...
(1998), though it was followed by forgettable cameos in films.
In 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
, Samir shot to fame by appearing in the film Baghban
Baghban
Baghban is a 2003 Bollywood drama film directed by Ravi Chopra, with a star cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Mahima Chaudhary, Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Lilette Dubey and others...
and played lead roles in Basti
Basti (film)
Basti is a 2003 Indian crime film. The film stars Samir Soni and Faisal Khan in lead roles, with Sheeba in a special guest appearance, Shama Sikander, Govind Namdeo, Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Kulbhushan Kharbanda in supporting roles.-Plot:The film starts with a voice narrating a small town of Mumbai...
and Kahan Ho Tum. In that same year, Soni also worked in the popular television series Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin was a popular show on Sony Entertainment Television. The series was an Indian-themed version of the Colombian drama Yo Soy Betty La Fea .-Plot:...
that aired on Sony
Sony Entertainment Television (India)
This article is about the SET channel in India. For the Indian version broadcasted worldwide, see Sony Entertainment Television Asia.Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, is a Hindi-language based general entertainment television channel in India. It was launched in October 1996 and is owned by...
. In 2004, he worked in another popular show on Sony channel called Saaksshi.
Soni featured as one of the contestants in the reality television show Bigg Boss 4
Bigg Boss (Season 4)
Bigg Boss 4 in 2010 was the fourth season of Indian reality TV show Bigg Boss, which aired on Colors from October 3, 2010. This season was longer than its predecessor, Bigg Boss 3 and lasted for 14 weeks ending on January 8, 2011...
in 2010. He was evicted from the house a week prior to the grand finale.
Sameer soon to be seen as main lead in Balaji Telefilms
Balaji Telefilms
Balaji Telefilms is a production house based in Mumbai, India, and is promoted by Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Jeetendra and Tushar Kapoor.-History:...
new show Parichay
Parichay (TV series)
Parichay is a new drama series on Colors. Parichay Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka produced by television maverick Ekta Kapoor is the latest fiction offering on COLORS. The story revolves around a fallen hero Kunal Chopra played by Samir Soni who has lost his zest in life due to his failures and...
on Colors .
Personal life
Through modeling, he met his ex-spouse, Rajlakshmi Khanvilkar. The two were married for six months before they divorced.On 24 January 2011, he married former actress Neelam Kothari.
Filmography
| 1996 1996 in television The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:... |
A Mouthful of Sky A Mouthful of Sky A Mouthful of Sky was the first serial in English to be produced in India. Aired on the state-owned Doordarshan TV channel and based on the script by Ashok Banker, the serial deals with the lives, loves, ideals and aspirations of the post-independence generation of Indians, people in their... |
Ashok Mathur |
|-
| 1998
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
|| China Gate
China Gate (1998 film)
China Gate is a 1998 Hindi film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. The film is a "humble tribute to the late Akira Kurosawa", crediting Seven Samurai as its inspiration...
|| Uditanshu Tandon ||
|-
| 2001
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
|| Lajja
Lajja (film)
Lajja is a 2001 Hindi film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. The film is based on the plight of women in India. The movie recounts the story of four women, and stars some of the best known names in Hindi cinema, including Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala, Mahima Chaudhry, Jackie Shroff, Anil...
|| Manish ||
|-
| 2002
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
|| Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum || Sameer Shastri ||
|-
| 2003
2003 in television
The year 2003 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2003.For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
|| Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin
Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin was a popular show on Sony Entertainment Television. The series was an Indian-themed version of the Colombian drama Yo Soy Betty La Fea .-Plot:...
|| Purab Mehra ||
|-
| 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
|| Dance Like A Man || Vishal ||
|-
| 2003 || Kahan Ho Tum || Jai ||
|-
| 2003 || Basti
Basti (film)
Basti is a 2003 Indian crime film. The film stars Samir Soni and Faisal Khan in lead roles, with Sheeba in a special guest appearance, Shama Sikander, Govind Namdeo, Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Kulbhushan Kharbanda in supporting roles.-Plot:The film starts with a voice narrating a small town of Mumbai...
|| Ramesh "Rama" Kulkarni ||
|-
| 2003 || Baghban || Sanjay Malhotra ||
|-
| 2004
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
|| Saaksshi
Saaksshi
Saaksshi is an Indian crime television series based on the story of an undercover cop Saaksshi Singh in an anti-terrorist squad. The series premiered on Sony TV on April 10, 2004, and starred known television actress Mauli Ganguly in the main lead....
|| Shekhar Sengupta ||
|-
| 2004 || Dil Kya Chahta Hai || Ram ||
|-
| 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
|| Vivah || Sunil ||
|-
| 2008
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
|| Fashion
Fashion (film)
Fashion is a 2008 Indian film co-produced, co-written, and directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. The film has a massive star cast which includes Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and newcomers Mugdha Godse and Arjan Bajwa. Based on the dark side of the world of fashion, the movie depicts it through the...
|| Rahul Arora ||
|-
| 2010 || I Hate Luv Storys
I Hate Luv Storys
I Hate Luv Storys is a Bollywood film starring Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor in the lead roles. The film is a romantic comedy, written and directed by newcomer, Punit Malhotra and produced under Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and Ronnie Screwvala's UTV Motion Pictures. The film was released on 2...
||Veer Kapoor ||
|-
| 2010 || Bigg Boss (season 4)
Bigg Boss (Season 4)
Bigg Boss 4 in 2010 was the fourth season of Indian reality TV show Bigg Boss, which aired on Colors from October 3, 2010. This season was longer than its predecessor, Bigg Boss 3 and lasted for 14 weeks ending on January 8, 2011...
||Sameer Soni ||
|-
| 2011 || Parichay
Parichay (TV series)
Parichay is a new drama series on Colors. Parichay Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka produced by television maverick Ekta Kapoor is the latest fiction offering on COLORS. The story revolves around a fallen hero Kunal Chopra played by Samir Soni who has lost his zest in life due to his failures and...
|| Kunal Chopra ||
|-
|}