Pooja Bedi quit films for ex-husband Farhan’s ‘conservative’ family: ‘Gave up everything for holy matrimony’

Pooja Bedi said that she took a decision to quit acting because her ex-husband Farhan Furniturewalla’s family was ‘conservative’. They got divorced in 2003.

Pooja Bedi, who starred in films such as Vishkanya and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar in the early 90s, explained her absence from Bollywood after that. She said that she quit acting as her ex-husband Farhan Furniturewalla’s family was ‘conservative’.

Pooja Bedi quit acting after marrying Farhan Furniturewalla.

Speaking to Samir Soni, Pooja said that she didn't step away from the film industry because she was ‘disillusioned’ by it. “Oh, no, not at all! I had great fun while I was there and then I got married. My ex-husband told me, if I was going to get married, I couldn’t continue in films because his family is very conservative. My mother always taught me, ‘Whatever you do, you give it 100 percent or you don’t do it.’ So I was like, ‘Okay, if I am going to be a housewife and a wife, let me be the best possible one.’ So, to me, it was like, ‘Okay, I’ll give up this journey of my life and start a new one,’” she said.

Although Pooja chose to quit acting back then, she would probably choose differently now, if faced with a similar situation. “Now, when you are younger, you think differently, right? Today, maybe I will make different choices. But the fact is they were the right choices for that time and I am really glad that I did make those choices. So, then I gave up everything for holy matrimony and I became the best wife,” she said.

Pooja was seen in a number of reality shows after her divorce from Farhan in 2003. She appeared on Bigg Boss, Nach Baliye, Maa Exchange and Khatron Ke Khiladi. Last year, she was seen in two digital projects. In Netflix’s Masaba Masaba, she played a therapist, while in Zee5’s Comedy Couple, she played a single mother.

Last year, Pooja and Farhan’s daughter, Alaya F, made her Bollywood debut with Jawaani Jaaneman. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in the film.