Monica Bedi

Monica Bedi (born 1975) is an Indian actress and television presenter. She debuted in Hindi films in the mid-1990s and her notable work includes Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat and Jodi No.1 (both 2001). She is well known after participating in Bigg Boss 2 and also for playing Gumaan Kaur Vyas in Star Plus' Saraswatichandra from 2013–2014.

Early and personal life

Bedi is a Punjabi and was born to Prem Kumar Bedi and Shakuntala Bedi in the village Chabbewal, Hoshiarpur district, Punjab. Her parents moved to Drammen, Norway in 1979. At the end of her under-graduation in India, she joined Oxford University, United Kingdom for reading literature; simultaneously, her acting education got completed at Delhi University in 1995.

In September 2002, Bedi and Abu Salem were arrested and served jail sentence in Portugal for entering the country on forged documents. In 2006, an Indian Court convicted Bedi for procuring a passport on a fictitious name. In November 2010, the Supreme Court of India upheld her conviction but reduced the jail term to the period that she had already served.

Career

Bedi got her first role in Telugu language film Taj Mahal (1995), produced by D. Ramanaidu. Ramanaidu also cast her in Sivayya and Speed Dancer. She debuted in Bollywood in 1995 with Surakshaa.

Bedi was a participant in Bigg Boss Season 2, a television reality show. She was one of the contestants of the reality shows Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3 and Desi Girl.

She sang the chants "EkOnkar" for a spiritual music album on Universal Music.

Bedi acted in the Punjabi movie Sirphire (2012), directed by Harjit Singh Ricky.

In 2013, Bedi played a negative role of Ghumman in Star Plus' show Saraswatichandra.

Television