Meet actress who graduated from Oxford, worked with top stars, was later jailed for 5 years due to…

Becoming an actor in Bollywood is a dream for many. While some manage to get that one big break easily, staying in the industry is the real challenge. One wrong decision can end a career. This is exactly what happened with Monica Bedi, a talented actress and dancer who saw success but also faced a major downfall.

Monica Bedi was born on January 18, 1975, in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Her father was a doctor, and her mother took care of the home. She has a younger brother named Bobby. In 1979, her family moved to Norway, where she finished her schooling. Later, she studied English Literature at Oxford University.

 

 

 

 

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Monica Bedi wasn’t really interested in acting at first, she loved dancing more. To train in classical dance, she came to Mumbai and started learning from the well-known dance teacher Gopi Guru. During one of her sessions, veteran actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar noticed her talent. Impressed by her dance, he offered her a lead role opposite his son Kunal Goswami in the film Kiritmaan.

According to media reports, Manoj Kumar had signed Monica Bedi on a 3-year contract, which didn’t allow her to work on any other films. However, his home production Kirtimaan wasn’t taking off. Monica then requested him to release her from the contract so she could explore other opportunities. Understanding her need for professional growth, Manoj agreed. Soon after, Monica got her first break with the Telugu film Taj Mahal (1995), produced by D. Rama Naidu.

Monica's debut film Taj Mahal was a big hit, which led to more Telugu film offers. Her growing popularity soon caught the attention of Bollywood producers, and she made her Hindi film debut alongside Saif Ali Khan in Suraksha (1995). Since she didn’t have any mentor or strong backing in the industry, Monica ended up signing several films without much planning. Unfortunately, movies like Aashique Mastaane, Khilona, Ek Phool Teen Kaante, and Tirchi Topiwale failed at the box office, which hurt her career. During this time, she also began performing at stage shows in India and abroad.

During one of her shows in Dubai, Monica met underworld figure Abu Salem. Their friendship quickly turned into a romantic relationship. According to reports, Abu used his influence to recommend Monica to top producers and directors in the industry. As a result, she landed roles in films like Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, Tada, and Jodi No. 1.

Monica chose to leave the film industry to settle down with Abu Salem. In 2002, the two traveled to Portugal but were arrested for using fake documents to enter the country. They spent about two and a half years in a Portuguese prison before being deported to India. According to Hindustan Times, Monica was sentenced by a CBI court to five years in jail, which was later reduced to three years by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. By 2007, Monica had completed her sentence and was released, having spent a total of five years behind bars from 2002 to 2007.

After finishing her jail term, Monica Bedi attempted a comeback by appearing on reality shows like Bigg Boss 2 and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. She also acted in TV serials such as Saraswatichandra and Bandhan. In addition, she worked in Punjabi films like Romeo Ranjha, Sirphire, and Bandookan. Monica still performs in stage shows and regularly shares updates about her life on Instagram.