Sonali Bendre (born 1 January 1975) is an Indian actress who has worked predominantly in Hindi and Telugu cinema, with additional appearances in Tamil, Kannada and Marathi films. She emerged as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema in the late 1990s and later transitioned to television, where she has served as a judge on several reality shows and acted in web series.
| Born | 1 January 1975 |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress, television personality, celebrity endorser |
| Years active | 1994 onwards |
| Debut film | Aag (1994) |
| Spouse | Goldie Behl (filmmaker) |
| Children | One son |
| Notable awards | Filmfare Award for New Face of the Year; Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress |
Bendre began her career as a model before moving into films. She made her acting debut with Aag (1994), a performance for which she won the Filmfare Award for New Face of the Year. After a series of unsuccessful releases in her early career, she achieved her breakthrough with the romantic action film Diljale (1996).
Following Diljale, Bendre established herself as a leading actress with a sequence of successful films, including the action comedy Duplicate (1998), the action drama Major Saab (1998), the drama Zakhm (1998), the action thriller Sarfarosh (1999) and the family drama Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), the last of which was a major commercial success.
Bendre expanded her presence to other Indian film industries during this period. She appeared in the Tamil romantic film Kadhalar Dhinam (1999) and the Kannada psychological thriller Preethse (2000). In Telugu cinema, she featured in the romantic drama Murari (2001), for which she received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu, followed by the action drama Indra (2002), the romantic comedy Manmadhudu (2002) and the comedy drama Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. (2004), all of which performed well at the box office. She also played a queen in the Marathi film Anahat (2003), after which she took a hiatus from acting.
In the early 2000s, Bendre's performance in the romantic drama Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000) earned her the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress.
After her break from films, Bendre became a recognised face on Indian television, appearing as a judge on reality shows including India's Got Talent and India's Best Dramebaaz. She later returned to acting with the television series Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye (2014) and the web series The Broken News (2022–2024), the latter earning her a Filmfare OTT Awards nomination.
Alongside her acting career, Bendre has worked as a celebrity endorser for various brands and products.
Bendre is married to filmmaker Goldie Behl, with whom she has a son.
Bendre is regarded as among the prominent Hindi film actresses of the 1990s, and her body of work spans Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Marathi cinema. Her later career as a television judge and web series actress reflects the broader transition of 1990s Hindi film stars to non-theatrical platforms.