Entertainment
Sonam Bajwa was bullied for her looks and had refused kissing scenes in Bollywood. She is now one of the highest-paid stars in the Punjabi film industry. The actress reportedly charges Rs 3 crore per film and her estimated net worth is around Rs 40 crore.
Updated : Aug 16, 2024, 06:34 PM IST | Edited by : Aman Wadhwa
Born on August 16, 1989 in Nainital, Uttarakhand, in a Punjabi Sikh family, Sonam Bajwa celebrates her 35th birthday on Friday. The actress is one of the highest-paid stars in the Punjabi film industry and charges Rs 3 crore per film. As per several reports, her estimated net worth is Rs 40 crore.
Before becoming an actor, Sonam Bajwa completed her graduation in Delhi University. She moved to Mumbai in 2012 and participated in the Femina Miss India contest in the same year. Then, Sonam Bajwa worked as an air hostess briefly before quitting her job to pursue a career in the film industry.
She made her acting debut in 2013 film Best of Luck with Gippy Grewal and worked with Diljit Dosanjh in the National Award-winning film Punjab 1984 in 2014. In the last ten years, Sonam has starred as the leading lady in several hits such as Sardaar Ji, Manje Bistre, Honsla Rakh, Guddiyan Patole, and Carry on Jatta 3 among others.
In 2023, the actress had shared in an interview that she was bullied for her looks. Talking to Siddharth Kannan, Sonam had said, "When I was growing up as a kid, I was bullied for my skin colour because as a Punjabi, I was not gori chitti (fair) enough. A few of my relatives never even invited me to their house. I have never seen their houses while growing up."
Sonam had also revealed in an interview last year that she had refused kissing scenes in Bollywood. The actress told Film Companion, "I said no to a couple of things in Bollywood because I was like, ‘Is Punjab going to be ok with it?' We have that mentality, that families will be watching. I was very scared to do a kissing scene in a film back then, because I thought, 'How are people going to respond to it, how will these people, who’ve made me who I am, respond to it? Is my family going to understand that this is for a film?’ I had all these questions in my mind."
Meanwhile, on the work front, Sonam Bajwa was last seen in the romantic comedy Kudi Haryane Val Di, which was released in the cinemas on June 14. She will be seen next in Nikka Zaildar 4, which is slated to hit theatres on March 7, 2025. The upcoming film also stars Ammy Virk in the leading role.
The DNA app is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Please download the app and share your feedback with us.