Sangeeta Bijlani

Sangeeta Bijlani (born 9 July 1960 in Bombay, now Mumbai) is an Indian former actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder best known for winning Femina Miss India 1980.

She belongs to a Sindhi Hindu family and began her career in modeling at age 16, appearing in numerous commercials for brands like Nirma and Pond's soap. During her modeling days, she earned the popular nickname "Bijli" (meaning lightning).

Full Name	Sangeeta Bijlani
Nick Name	Azhar
Other Name(s)	Ayesha Azhar
Occupation	Actress/Model
Date of Birth	09-July-1960 (66 years)
Birth Location	Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Gender	Female
Nationality	Indian
Religion	Hindu
Zodiac Sign	Cancer
Height	170 cm
Weight	62 kg
Eye Colour	Brown
Hair Colour	Brown
School	Mount Mary Convent High School, Mumbai
College	MMK College
Qualification	Graduated
Hobbies	Photography, Travelling, Workout.

In 1980, she represented India at the Miss Universe pageant in Seoul, South Korea, where she won the Best National Costume award for a design created by her mother, Poonam Jijlani.

Her transition to Bollywood occurred after director Rajiv Rai spotted her on a fashion show ramp and convinced her to join the film industry. While some sources cite her debut as the 1987 film Qatil opposite Aditya Pancholi, others state her Hindi film debut was Tridev in 1989.

Sangeeta Bijlani appeared in a total of 16 Hindi films between 1988 and 1996, including notable blockbusters such as Tridev, Hathyar, Jurm, Yodha, Yugandhar, Izzat, and Lakshman Rekha.

She became known more for her dance numbers and screen presence than for her histrionic skills, and was unable to establish herself as a sustained Bollywood leading lady despite several hits.

Her filmography includes titles like Tahqiqat (1993), Game (1993), Jagannath (1996), Nirbhay (1996), Vishnu Deva (1991), Shiv Raam (1991), and Gunehgar Kaun (1991).

Her personal life attracted significant public attention due to her decade-long relationship with actor Salman Khan, which began in 1986 while both were modeling and significantly boosted her popularity in Bollywood.

She quit acting after marrying former Indian cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin in 1996. Beyond film, she had a television career including the show Chandni and ventured into production with series like Hasna Mat.

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