Latest news with #PoonamDhillon
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Hema Malini, Jackie Shroff Pay Homage To Dheeraj Kumar At Prayer Meet
1/9 The Indian entertainment industry united in grief and remembrance at the prayer meet held for veteran actor, producer, and director Dheeraj Kumar, whose contribution to cinema and television left a lasting legacy. A host of film and television personalities, singers, and political figures attended the solemn occasion to offer their condolences and pay tribute to the Creative Eye Ltd. founder who shaped some of Indian television's most iconic shows. Other prominent names included Poonam Dhillon, Rakesh Bedi, Mukesh Rishi, Deepak Parashar, Tej Sapru, Ramesh Goyal, Raza Murad, Tinaa Ghaai ,Vidhi Ghai and Surendra Pal. Renowned producer Ganesh Jain, singer Padma Shri Soma Ghosh, singer Madhushree, Vivek Prakash, Roli Prakash, actress Eisha Singh, actor Shehzad Khan, and producer Manish Goswami, His Excellency Kobbi Soshani, Consul General of Israel also joined in mourning the loss. Respected industry names like Siddharth Roy Kapur, Munmun Dutta, Ashoke Pandit, Kripa Shankar Singh, and B.N. Tiwari (President, FWICE) were present to express their sorrow. Dr. Dharmendra Kumar, a close family friend, and Sunil Gupta, CFO of Creative Eye Ltd., were also among those who paid homage. The gathering reflected the deep respect and affection Dheeraj Kumar commanded across generations and professions. Known for his work in films during the 70s and 80s and for producing meaningful, family-centric content through Creative Eye, he was widely regarded as a visionary with unwavering integrity. Condolences were extended to his wife Zuby Kochar, and family members Inder Kochar and Ashutosh Kochar, as the industry stood united in honoring the life and legacy of a man who was as loved personally as he was professionally.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Poonam Dhillon opens up about payment issues faced by actors today; says, 'These actors don't even have contracts…'
Actress Poonam Dhillon recently opened up about payment delays that many actors face and struggle with. In a conversation with ANI, the actress spoke about the hardships that actors go through. She revealed how, earlier, actors were paid after 30 days — but that has now changed to 90 days. She shared, 'Today, a television actor, especially, gets paid after 90 days. I'm talking about short-term actors who earn a few thousand per day and work only two to three days a month. We're not talking about stars who earn lakhs or crores of rupees. They get all the money from their contracts. If they don't get paid, they won't even leave their house.' Poonam then opened up about small-time actors who often struggle with payment issues. She said, 'These small-time actors — people who are playing roles like a chauffeur, waiter, lawyer, or doctor — work just for a day and leave, then have to wait for 90 days for their payment. They have families, children, bills to pay, and they have to cover their basic expenses.' 'And we're not talking about every actor — not the big actors. They have their legal support and can go to court if needed. But these actors don't even have contracts. Earlier, they were given money for conveyance — like 300 rupees to cover transportation. Today, they're asking for 500 rupees, but they're not given anything. They're expected to travel to places that could be two hours away, without any transport allowance,' she added. On the work front, Poonam is popularly known for her roles in Kittie Party, Ekk Nayi Pehchaan, and more.
India.com
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actress called superstar Rajesh Khanna 'moody and arrogant' on the sets of Red Rose, she is…
A celebrated actress from the golden era of Hindi cinema opened up about a film that left a lasting impression on her career. The project paired her with the first superstar of Indian cinema, known for his charming screen presence and fan frenzy. Set against an intense and haunting narrative, the film tested emotional boundaries. While recalling those days, she spoke of professionalism, subtle discomforts, and the impact of working on a story that wasn't easy to forget. Renowned Actress Poonam Dhillon Here we are talking about actress Poonam Dhillon, who has worked with many legendary stars in her career. She worked with many legends, including Amitabh Bachchan, Late Shashi Kapoor, Late Sanjeev Kumar and Late Rajesh Khanna. In 1978, she debuted in the industry with the film 'Trishul'. After the success of this film, she got a chance to work in 'Noori' and then Poonam got a chance to work with the superstar of that time, Rajesh Khanna, in the film ' Red Rose'. Every person who worked with Rajesh Khanna has a story. Some people describe him as moody, arrogant and short-tempered. While he had a very good relationship with some. But Kaka's relationship with Poonam Dhillon, who gave hits like ' Teri Meherbaniyan ' and ' Sohni Mahiwal ', was very special. In a recent interaction with ANI, Poonam Dhillon shared her experience after entering the film industry. She said that her experience with Rajesh Khanna was completely opposite to what people say about him. Poonam says that Kaka always behaved very gently and intelligently with her. First Meet With 'Kaka' Poonam Dhillon recalled her first meeting when she was not in films. She said, 'I was in the eighth class at that time. B.R. Chopra's film was being shot in Chandigarh. Rajesh Khanna was present there. Vidya Sinha was probably with him. I saw him there for the first time.' 'It Is Difficult To Work With Him' Years later, when Poonam joined the film industry, she got a chance to work with Kaka in her third film itself. In the conversation, she said the film was ' Red Rose ', which was a suspense-thriller. The actress said that people warned me about Rajesh Khanna and said that 'it is difficult to work with him'. Poonam recalled. 'But to be honest, I never felt like that. It was said that he is short-tempered, but my experience was the opposite. He never behaved rudely with me.' 'I Was Very Nervous…' She further mentioned, 'I was a new actress then and this role was quite challenging. She said, ' I was very nervous for this role. The director of the film Bharathiraja spoke in Tamil and did not understand Hindi. I could not understand whether the director sahab was happy with my acting or not. I was very scared. But Kaka helped me a lot. He used to guide me in every scene. He was very protective. '
Mint
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘Paid after 90 days': Poonam Dhillon flags financial struggles of TV's daily-wage actors
Veteran actor and president of the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA), Poonam Dhillon, has raised concerns over a growing issue in the Indian television industry—delayed payments, particularly impacting small-time or daily-wage actors. Speaking in a recent interview with news agency ANI, Dhillon highlighted how the payment landscape for actors has changed drastically over the past two decades. While earlier, artists would be paid by the end of the day or the month, many television actors today reportedly wait up to 90 days, three full months, for their dues. 'This problem wasn't there 20 years ago,' she said. 'Today, actors, especially those in television, are paid after 90 days. And it's not the stars we're talking about, it's the smaller, short-term artists who earn only a few thousand per day and may only get work a couple of days a month.' Dhillon explained how this delay has a direct impact on the livelihood of these performers, many of whom take on minor roles, such as a chauffeur, a lawyer, or a waiter, for just a day or two. 'These actors have no legal contracts, no agency support, and often no way to chase payments. They have families and bills to pay. It becomes a matter of survival,' she added. The CINTAA president also raised concerns over the lack of basic support, such as travel allowances, for these daily-wage actors. 'Earlier, they would at least be given ₹ 300 for conveyance. Now, even if they ask for ₹ 500 to cover travel for a two-hour journey, it's denied,' she said. While top actors and stars enjoy well-drafted contracts and access to legal recourse, smaller actors, she noted, are often left with little protection. 'Big stars have the power to refuse to shoot if they're not paid. These actors don't,' Dhillon added. The statement sheds light on a deeper, often overlooked issue in the entertainment industry- the fragile financial security of its workforce beyond the spotlight. Dhillon's comments come at a time when CINTAA continues to advocate for fairer treatment, timely payments, and contract protections for all categories of artistes working in film and television.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
"Was very fearful of how I'd be treated...": Poonam Dhillon reveals how the industry reacted to her split from filmmaker Ashok Thakeria
Veteran actress Poonam Dhillon spoke about her journey as a divorced woman in the film industry. Veteran actress Poonam Dhillon spoke about her journey as a divorced woman in the film industry. In a candid conversation with ANI, the actress shared her thoughts on how life changed after parting ways with her ex-husband, filmmaker Ashok Thakeria. Poonam Dhillon married Ashok in 1988 and later divorced him in 1997. They have two children together, Anmol and Paloma, and the actress has always remained focused on raising them. Looking back, Poonam said she was "fearful" of how people might treat her after the divorce, especially in an industry where personal matters often become public talk. "In any industry, in any place, in any situation, how you get treated is based on how you behave. So I was very fearful that I'd be upset if my friends or their husbands started treating me differently now that I'm divorced, or if the men started looking at me and, you know, treating me differently," Dhillon told ANI. "But touch wood, I was really lucky and blessed that nobody changed their attitude or started making indecent proposals or insinuating things. I mean, there may have been one or two scattered incidents, but that showed their character, not mine. And that's true in any profession. Whether you're single, divorced, or married, those few suspect characters would still behave like that. But by and large, I didn't have to face that. And my whole world was so focused on my two kids," she added. Poonam, who married at a young age, also reflected on her decision. She explained how her busy career and sheltered upbringing gave her little opportunity to meet people or understand relationships deeply. "Well, I think as actresses, what happens is we live a very protected life. We don't meet too many people. We start shooting in the morning and come back at night. Day after day, at least in my days, it was like almost 30 days a month or outdoors. You were not meeting any people. The people your age, either whom you're working with, were much senior to you or...," Dhillon shared. On her relationship with ex-husband Thakeria, she added, "My ex-husband is a very nice person. But two nice people do not necessarily make a good couple, you know. Upbringings are different, your values are different, your interests are different." On the work front, Dhillon is best known for her 1979 film Noorie. She also worked in Red Rose, Dard, Romance, Sohni Mahiwal, Teri Meherbaniyan, Samundar, Karma, Naam, and Maalamaal. Poonam made a special appearance in Judaai. She also made a mark on TV and was seen as a contestant on Season 3 of Bigg Boss, which aired in 2009. The veteran actor played the lead role in the serial Ekk Nayi Pehchaan.
