Bollywood actress who won Miss India and had all the talent, but was forgotten by the industry just because she was taller than the Khans

Indian Express

04-07-2025

For most people, when they think of Khoon Bhari Maang, the first image that springs to mind isn't just Rekha's vengeance arc, Kabir Bedi's villainy, or even the crocodile attack. Instead, it's often Sonu Walia, the actress who left a lasting impression with her portrayal of Rekha's glamorous best friend-turned-homewrecker, Nandini. Her sizzling chemistry with Kabir Bedi in the song 'Main Teri Hoon Jaanam' is etched in fan's collective memory. Her performance even earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Speaking to ETimes in a rare interview, Sonu reflected on what made Nandini such an iconic character. 'I think it was perhaps one of the first grey female characters of that time. She was not a bad girl, Nandini, she just did things which were not acceptable because she really loved this man. So I think that character resonated very well with the people. Now it's a trend to show grey characters, but back then it wasn't.'
Contrary to popular belief, Khoon Bhari Maang was not Sonu Walia's debut. Her first film was actually the 1986 thriller Shart, directed by Ketan Anand. She also worked on Akarshan, a film that was shot before Khoon Bhari Maang but released later.
In the same conversation, Sonu Walia opened up about how she landed the role of Nandini. 'I got Khoon Bhari Maang because I had acted in a couple of films which were under production. The first film was Akarshan, and that was nearly complete. The second was Mahaadev, where I had done a couple of dance numbers. So Guddu ji (Rakesh Roshan) was actually quite apprehensive, as he hadn't launched any newcomer before. In his entire career, he had just launched his son, Ameesha Patel, and me. He was unsure, but then I showed him a few reels of Akarshan, and he saw that I could act. But since dance was such a crucial part of the character, he still wasn't convinced I could dance. Then I showed him my dance numbers from Mahaadev, and that's how I got the film.'
While Khoon Bhari Maang remains one of her biggest achievements, Sonu Walia's story began even earlier. In 1985, she was crowned Miss India, a huge achievement in itself. Born Sanjeet Kaur Walia in a Punjabi family, her father Satinder Singh Walia served in the Indian Army, while her mother Damanjit Kaur was a homemaker. 'Sonu' was a childhood nickname that stuck. Her early success, however, was followed by a series of setbacks. Despite working with legendary filmmaker Manmohan Desai in Toofan (opposite Amitabh Bachchan), the film turned out to be a commercial disaster. Worse still, she found herself typecast.
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'I almost would have said no to 50 films because they were offering me all negative characters. That's the thing with the industry, you get typecast here very easily.' Another hurdle she faced was something beyond her control. her height. At 5'8', Sonu Walia towered over many of the rising stars of the 1990s. As the decade ushered in the era of the three Khans — Aamir, Salman, and Shah Rukh, her tall stature became a casting concern. While she was well-suited to play leading lady to towering heroes like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Vinod Khanna, they were nearing the end of their careers. The new wave of actors, by comparison, were significantly shorter, and Sonu, unfortunately, didn't fit the romantic lead mold anymore. Although she did appear in a small role in one of Shah Rukh Khan's earliest films, Dil Aashna Hai.
In time, she transitioned to television, with roles in serials like Ghutan, Yug, and B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat. After that, she gradually stepped away from the limelight. Eventually, she met Surya Pratap Singh, a US-based hotelier and film producer. After marrying him, she moved to America and appeared in a few sporadic films like Kasam (2001), Suryakaant (2005), and Jai Maa Sherawaali (2008), the last of which was produced by her husband and saw her in the titular role.
Tragedy struck in 2009 when Sonu Walia's husband Surya Pratap Singh passed away due to kidney failure. In the years that followed, a grieving Sonu returned to India and moved in with her sister Monu and brother-in-law Vineet Sharma. But some passions are too deeply rooted to ever be forgotten. So in 2018, Sonu returned to the industry, this time behind the scenes. She co-produced Jogiyaa Rocks, starring Kirti Kulhari. Today, she's hopeful about the possibilities offered by the OTT boom, which has created space for nuanced characters and actors of all backgrounds, ages, and yes, heights. She now hopes to finally take on the kind of roles she was once denied, free from the constraints of typecasting and physical stereotypes.