4 min readNew DelhiMay 15, 2026 06:52 PM ISTPooja Bedi was the sex symbol of India. (Photo: Pooja Bedi/Instagram)Pooja Bedi was among those rare actors who became overnight sensations before walking away from stardom at the peak of their popularity. She began modelling in her late teens and made her acting debut at the age of 20 with the 1991 film Vishkanya as the lead heroine. Known for her bold image and glamorous screen presence, Pooja quickly rose to fame as India’s “sex symbol.” However, just four years into her career, she chose to quit films to focus entirely on marriage and family life. She returned all her signing amounts and, despite her marriage lasting only seven years, says she never regretted the decision.Speaking to Jos Alukkas about what motivated her to leave the industry, Pooja shared, “My mother always taught me that whatever you do, you give it your 100 per cent or you don’t do it at all. Whatever you do, be in the pursuit of excellence. I was in films and I wasn’t a very good actress, to be honest. I was very good at being sexy. I was 100 per cent good at being sexy. I used to be voted the sex symbol of India.”Reflecting on her acting abilities, Pooja candidly admitted that acting never truly excited her. “My acting skills lacked a lot and it didn’t particularly enthuse me to become the best actor. So I used to distract people by showing my cleavage so nobody would look up because they were too busy looking down,” she said with characteristic honesty.Despite her self-assessment, Pooja worked with some of the industry’s most respected filmmakers in a short span of time. She appeared in films like Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, worked with Dharmesh Darshan, and was part of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar directed by Mansoor Khan.ALSO READ | When Diljit Dosanjh said ‘Earth is my country’: ‘Don’t feel any difference between India or USA’“I didn’t do many films. So when people say I was at the top of my career — I wasn’t actually. I had just broken in and risen sharply to a certain space. I was more a paper tiger. I was famous for being famous because I would say the most outrageous things,” she explained.Pooja also reflected on how unconventional her lifestyle was for that era. At a time when many actresses hid their relationships and personal choices, she openly embraced hers. “I lived my life very unconventionally in an era where people were hiding the fact that they had boyfriends. I was flaunting mine. When girls would leave home in long skirts and secretly wear mini skirts outside, I used to walk out in my mini skirts openly,” she said.Story continues below this adShe further spoke about breaking social taboos through her bold choices, including her famous KamaSutra condom campaign, which she said was described by British tabloids as the “sexual revolution of India.”“At every stage, my life has been defined by what I wanted for myself, not by what society wanted for me,” she added.At the age of 24, Pooja converted to Islam and married businessman Farhan Furniturewala. Recalling that phase, she said, “His family was conventional and I had signed a lot of films. I asked my mother what to do. She told me again — whatever you do, give it your 100 per cent or don’t do it at all.”Pooja explained that during the 1990s, marriage and motherhood were often seen as the end of an actress’s career, especially for someone branded as the “sex symbol”. “Back then, marriage and children meant your career was over unlike today. Those weren’t really options available, especially for the sex symbol of India. So I decided to give my 100 per cent to my marriage. I gave up my career, returned all the signing amounts for my films and embarked on a new journey of being the best wife and daughter-in-law. It was an amazing journey,” she concluded.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Pooja bediAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogKerala SSLC 10th Result 2026, sslcexam.kerala.gov.in LIVE Updates: Result out at prd.kerala.gov.in; 99.07% pass7 minutes agoIran US War News LIVE Updates: Trump says he rejected Iran peace proposal ‘after reading first sentence’20 minutes agoJustice Swarana Kanta Sharma won’t hear excise case, to continue with contempt action against Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, others4 hours agoTrump-Xi Summit LIVE: Beijing being ‘very pragmatic’ on Iran, says top US official, as Trump and Xi meet for final day of summit7 hours agoHBSE 10th Result 2026, bseh.org.in Highlights: Scorecards out at bseh.org.in, check list of toppers7 hours ago