Soni Razdan

Early life

Soni Razdan grew up in Bombay, India. She is paternally of Kashmiri Pandit descent, and her mother Gertrude Hoelzer is of German descent.

Career

Early work and debut (1991–1998)

Razdan debuted in Hindi films in a supporting role with the 1981 film 36 Chowringhee Lane starring Jennifer Kendal. It also marked the directorial debut of Aparna Sen, who had until then been known as a leading actress of Bengali cinema. Razdan garnered mainstream attention for her appearance in the film. 36 Chowringhee Lane was also entered in the first edition of the Manila International Film Festival, where it won the top prize. Scholar Wimal Dissanayake sees the film as a portrayal of the patriarchal social system: "The film portrays the plight of a lonely woman in a society that cares little for questions of female subjectivity and self-fulfillment. In popular culture the title of the film has become symbolic of the city of Kolkata, particularly its cuisine. A Bangalore restaurant is called 36 Chowringhee Lane. A fast-food chain in Delhi is called 34 Chowringhee Lane. Then she also appeared in Ahista Ahista directed by Esmayeel Shroff. It is a remake of the Kannada film Gejje Pooje.

In 1983, she appeared in film called Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal. Based on a classic Urdu short story Aanandi by writer Ghulam Abbas, the film narrates the story of a brothel, situated in the heart of a city, an area that some politicians want for its prime locality. The film is a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution. Her major breakthrough came in 1984 film Saaransh. It is about an elderly Maharashtrian couple living in Mumbai who come to terms with the loss of their only son. It was directed by her now husband Mahesh Bhatt. It was also chosen as India's official entry for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but it was not nominated. Her performance in the film was critically appreciated by the audience for which she earned a nomination for the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1985, Razdan had two release in the year which was the Historical drama Trikal (alongside Leela Naidu, Naseeruddin Shah and Neena Gupta) and the Thriller Khamosh (alongside Shabana Azmi and again with Naseeruddin Shah), both of which were critically and commercially successful. In 1986, Razdan starred in an English-language Indian film named On Wings of Fire. From 1990-1993, Razdan appeared in 6 films. Including — Daddy, Sadak, Saathi, Sir, Gumrah, and Gunaah. Mostly she appeared as a supporting roles.

In 1998, Razdan appeared as a lead in the Canadian film named Such a Long Journey, co-starring Roshan Seth and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. The story, based on the novel of the same name written by Rohinton Mistry. The film was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Career slump and hiatus (2001–2019)

In 2001, she appeared in the comedy film, Monsoon Wedding. Monsoon Wedding premiered in the Marché du Film section of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and went on to win the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival and receive a Golden Globe Award nomination while grossing over $30 million internationally at the box office. A musical based on the film premiered on Broadway in April 2014. In 2017, IndieWire named it the 19th best romance of the 21st century. Between 2004-2013, she appeared in many films including, Dobara, Page 3, Jaan-E-Mann, Dil Dosti Etc, Patiala House,

Razdan directed a film called Love Affair that was expected to be released in 2016, but did not. She acted in Meghna Gulzar's Raazi which also starred her daughter Alia in the lead role. This was the first time when she shared the screen with Alia where she played the character of Alia's mother. Soni played the lead role in the film Yours Truly where she portrayed the character of a lonely middle-aged government employee Mithi Kumar. Reviewer from The Quint writes, Sanjoy Nag uses silence as a tool to help us understand Mithi better, and Razdan embraces that silence. She is brave yet afraid, stoic yet vulnerable, lonely yet hopeful.

In 2019, she appeared in Noblemen, No Fathers in Kashmir and War.

Personal life

She is married to Gujarati filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, and is the mother of Shaheen Bhatt and actress Alia Bhatt and step mother of Pooja Bhatt & Rahul Bhatt.

Razdan has stated that she has lived in India since she was a 3 month old and that she carries an Overseas Citizenship of India.

Filmography

Films

Television

Accolades

References

References

1. "Soni BHATT".
2. expressindia, daily news. (30 January 2001). "I'll voice the worries of Kashmiri muslim".
3. Sen, Aparna. "'If I'd made more compromises I may have been more successful' – Rediff On The Net, Movies: An interview with Aparna Sen".
4. "36 Chowringhee Lane in BTM Layout 1st stage, Bangalore – Buzzintown".
5. "34, Chowringhee Lane".
6. (15 December 1981). "Ahista Ahista is a celluloid edifice built on prefabricated blocks of tear-jerker tragedy".
7. (26 May 2016). "Eight Sandalwood films that have been remade in other languages".
8. "Mandi". [[IMDb]].
9. (18 February 2014). "Anupam Kher talks about how Mahesh Bhatt's Saaransh changed his life". The Times of India.
10. Verma, Sukanya. (6 June 2013). "Khamosh: Revisiting Vidhu Vinod Chopra's brilliant whodunit".
11. Dawar, Rati. (31 July 1986). "On Wings of Fire: Cyrus H. Bharucha's film on Zoroastrianism generates heat among orthodoxy".
12. (17 April 2018). "Pooja Bhatt On The Irony Of Having Saved' An Alcoholic Father In Daddy Only To Battle Drinking Problem Herself". [[NDTV]].
13. (18 Sep 2008). "Mallepuvvu: Movie Review".
14. Scott, A. O.. (26 March 2000). "'Such a Long Journey': A Life as Topsy-Turvy as the Streets of Bombay". [[The New York Times Company]].
15. Walz, Eugene P.. (1 January 2002). "Canada's Best Features: Critical Essays on 15 Canadian Films". [[Rodopi (publisher).
16. (June 2019). "Such a Long Journey". [[Faber & Faber]].
17. "Such A Long Journey". Chocolate Moose Media.
18. "Sony Classics, USA turn up Cannes buying heat". [[Screen International]].
19. "rediff.com US edition: Monsoon Wedding heads for the US". [[Rediff.com]].
20. Garima Sharma. (12 December 2012). "Monsoon Wedding to make Broadway debut in April 2014". [[The Times of India]].
21. Thompson, Michael Nordine, Anne. "Best Romance Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked {{!}} IndieWire".
22. (24 September 2004). "What was Shashi Ranjan thinking?". [[Rediff.com]].
23. "Madhur Bhandarkar proves himself again!".
24. "Patiala Hoes: Complete Cast & Crew Details". [[Bollywood Hungama]].
25. (5 November 2015). "Soni Razdan's directorial venture to go on floors in 2016". [[The Indian Express]].
26. (6 March 2017). "Soni Razdan's Love Affair put on hold, to do a TV series first?".
27. "Raazi movie: Soni Razdan explains why she wanted to hug daughter Alia during the shoot".
28. (6 May 2019). "In Yours Truly, Soni Razdan Shines In An Elegant Ode To Middle-Aged Longing".
29. (2019-05-06). "'Yours Truly' is a Silent Lonely Voice, Screaming to Be Heard".
30. (18 March 2017). "Kunal Kapoor will teach Shakespeare's plays in Vandana Kataria's The Noblemen". Hindustan Times.
31. (14 March 2019). "Censor Woes for ''No Fathers In Kashmir'' Are Over, Ashvin Kumar's Film Released on April 5".
32. "Rediff On The Net, Movies: An interview with Soni Razdan".
33. Razdan, Soni. (16 April 2019). "I do actually. My father is Indian. Lived in India since I was 3 months old. Pay taxes. Hold an Overseas Citizen of India card. If my hard earned income is good enough to be used to better this nation then I have a right to voice my opinions too. #VoteOutHate".
34. (25 September 2022). "Saba Azad to play Raj Begum in Danish Renzu's Songs of Paradise - Exclusive". The Times of India.
35. "All Filmfare Awards Winners".
36. (2015-09-23). "BENGAL FILM JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION".