Pooja Bedi reveals why she quit films after marriage to Farhan Furniturewala; says, ‘A sex-symbol bahu was...'

Pooja Bedi

Pooja Bedi has opened up about a defining moment in her life when she walked away from her flourishing film career after marriage. In a recent interview, she reflected on how marrying into a conservative Muslim family influenced her decision. There were cultural expectations and she waned to maintain harmony within her new home.

Pooja, who married businessman Farhan Furniturewala in the 1990s, shared that stepping away from films was a conscious choice rooted in mutual respect. “I got married to Farhan who came from a conservative Muslim family and there was no way on earth his family was going to accept a bahu (daughter-in-law) going to the set,” she said.

She also pointed out that during that era, actresses were often subjected to gossip and baseless link-ups, making it even harder for families to accept them. “In those days, there was a lot of gossip about the film industry, and every time a film was released, they would link you (the actress) up with the heroes… I don’t think there was any way they were going to accept a bahu still working in films,” she explained.

Calling herself “a sex-symbol bahu,” Pooja said such an image was difficult for her husband’s family to digest. “Back then, once you got married, you stopped doing films. You were off the shelf, unlike today. Also, a ‘sexy bahu‘ or a ‘sex-symbol bahu‘ would have been a lot for them to handle,” she added.

Pooja revealed that her decision to step away from films wasn’t easy. She returned all her signing amounts for several pending projects, including a renewal of her famous Kamasutra ad campaign. “I thought about it, and I was like, ‘If I’m going to do something, I want to do it well and with full respect… So, either don’t get married because it’s going to create chaos, or let yourself fit into that world and see what it’s all about,’” she recalled.

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“I then returned all the signing amounts for all the films that I’d committed to; there were quite a few. My Kamasutra ad campaign had come up for renewal, and I had to reject that as well, even though I was offered about eight times the amount that they paid me originally.”

Despite parting ways with Farhan over two decades ago, Pooja shared that they continue to maintain a strong friendship while co-parenting their children, Alaya and Omar. Calling him her “best friend,” she said she was genuinely happy when he remarried to a woman she had known since childhood.