Monica Bedi (born 18 January 1975) is an Indian actress and television presenter who primarily appears in Hindi films. She has also worked in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Bengali films. Bedi debuted in Hindi films in the mid-1990s, with notable works including "Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat" and "Jodi No.1." She is known for participating in reality TV shows such as "Bigg Boss 2" and "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3," and for her role as Gumaan Kaur Vyas in Star Plus's "Saraswatichandra." Bedi has received several accolades including Gold Awards, PTC Awards, TSA Awards, Bharat Ratna Dr. Ambedkar Award. In 2002, Bedi was convicted for using a forged document.

Early life

Bedi is a Punjabi and was born 18 January 1975 to Prem Kumar Bedi and Shakuntala Bedi in the village Chabbewal, Hoshiarpur district, Punjab. Her parents moved to Drammen, Norway in 1979. She studied English Literature and completed her education at Oxford University.

Prison Sentence

In September 2002, Bedi and Abu Salem, an Indian gangster were arrested and later served prison sentences in Portugal for entering the country on forged documents. In 2006, an Indian Court convicted Bedi for procuring a passport on a fictitious name. In November 2010, the Supreme Court of India upheld her conviction but reduced the prison sentence to the period that she had already served.

Career

Monica Bedi began her acting career with the Telugu film Taj Mahal (1995), produced by D. Ramanaidu. She was later cast by Ramanaidu in another Telugu project, Sivayya. That same year, Bedi made her Bollywood debut, starring opposite Saif Ali Khan in Surakshaa. Throughout her career, Bedi appeared in numerous Hindi films, working alongside notable actors such as Suniel Shetty, Arjun Rampal, Chiranjeevi, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, and Dharmendra. One of her notable films was the hit comedy Jodi No. 1, directed by David Dhawan. She also ventured into reality television, participating in Bigg Boss 2, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3, and Desi Girl. Additionally, she contributed to a spiritual music album released by Universal Music, where she sang the chant "Ek Onkar." In 2012, Bedi appeared in the Punjabi film Sirphire. From 2013 to 2014, she played the role of Ghuman in the Star Plus series Saraswatichandra, produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In 2014, she portrayed a Punjab DSP in the Punjabi film Romeo Ranjha.

Filmography

Television

Awards