Simone Singh was born on 10 November 1974 in Jamshedpur , to Sikh-Bengali parents, (father) cricketer Daljit Singh and (mother) Krishna. She has a younger sister named Dipannita. She spent her growing years in Jamshedpur and Bangalore. She is a trained Kathak dancer and can play the guitar. She used to sing and perform on stage in school and college and her talent was noticed even then.
After completing her degree in English Literature, Simone worked at a TV production house in Delhi for two months and did some modeling assignments. She later came to Mumbai to meet a childhood friend and figure out her next move. For a lark she dropped her portfolio at a production company called Plus Channel and got selected for roles in A Mouthful of Sky (her debut show, India's first English language fiction serial) and Sea Hawks.
From thereon there was no looking back for her as she went
on to perform in some of the most popular and acclaimed shows of that time such
as Swabhimaan (first Indian serial to complete 500 episodes), Jhoota Sach,
Thoda hai thode ki zaroorat hai, Chitrahar, Superhit Muqabla, Gaatha, Hello Friends etc.
However, the show that made Simone Singh a household name nationwide was Heena (1998) on Sony TV. Simone played 18 year old Muslim girl who discovers after marriage that her husband is in love with an other woman. The show was about trials and tribulations in married life and was lauded for shedding light on concept of "Talaaq" in Islam. Heena was the highest rated show on Indian Television at that time and still holds place in Top 5 most watched shows of Indian Television in 2000s decade as per TAM & IndianTelevision.com. The serial Heena and as heroine Simone Singh also gained popularity abroad as Heena was aired in different countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Middle East, Maldives, Malaysia, USA, UK etc. It earned her several awards, honours and nominations and till date she is remembered as "The Heena Girl". Heena ran for 5 years on Sony TV, making it the longest running Muslim social drama on Indian Television. Simone Singh became the Face of Sony TV as Heena.
Besides TV shows, Simone was also a popular model in 1990s and 2000s, appearing in several commercials such as Lakme, Pantene,Nirma, Samsung, Santoor soap, Ultra Doux Shampoo etc., music videos - Asha Bhosle's "Parde mein rehne do" with Bikram Saluja and Jagjit Singh-Gulzar's "Shaam se aankh mein" with Jimmy Shergill.
In 2000, Simone got married to filmmaker Farhad Samar in a
quiet ceremony at her parents' home town Chandigarh.
In 2001, Simone forayed into movies with Ek Rishta A Bond of Love where she played Priya, Amitabh Bachchan's daughter and Akshay Kumar' sister. The same year she did a cameo in Karan Johar's blockbuster Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in which she played Rukhsaar, Kajol's neighbour and best friend. This was her most popular role in movies as she shared screenspace with stars like Kajol and SRK. In 2002, she appeared in Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya as Abhishek Bachchan's friend. Her other release that year - Sur earned her critical acclaim and she won Stardust Best Supporting Actress Award for her role.
In 2003 she did a cameo in Karan Johar's superhit Kal Ho Na Ho where she played Camilla, Saif Ali Khan's girlfriend who is a golddigger. This was another one of her popular appearances in movies. In an interview, Simone said, she did movies and roles like Camilla to break free from image of Heena.
The same year Simone Singh became the first Indian actor to
present an award at International Emmy Awards in NYC. It was considered a
landmark for an Indian television actor on a global platform.
Meanwhile she kept doing TV shows - Tum Pukar Lo, Aandhi, Kasshish on Zee TV and hosted non fiction shows like Kosmic Chat on Zoom TV, Blockbuster on Channel 9 Gold, The Lounge on CNBC-TV18.
In 2005, Simone served on the jury of the first International Emmy Awards held in India.
Her most appreciated and critcally acclaimed performance in movies came in 2006 film Being Cyrus, where she played a grey shade role of Tina Sethna. The English language film was directed by Homi Adajania and Simone shared screen with actors like Boman Irani, Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Naseeruddin Shah. Her co star Dimple Kapadia complimented her "for stealing the show".
In 2007 Simone hosted Mission Ustaad on 9X, a one of its kind musical reality show co-produced by the United Nations to raise awareness about Millennium Development Goals.
Simone's last role in fiction serial was in Viraasat on Star One as Anoushka Lamba (2007) where she was paired opposite Aman Verma. Her last cameo in movies was in Ram Gopal Varma's Rann (2010) as Priya Malik - Shankalya.
Simone Singh has been hailed among the most beautiful and stylish women in India by magazines like Elle, Verve, Vogue, Femina and websites like Rediff. Her contemporary Sangeeta Ghosh named her among most stylish women on Indian Television and producer Ekta Kapoor described her as "well spoken and stylish".
Simone Singh has featured in fiction and nonfiction shows
across all major channels such as Doordarshan, DD Metro, Sony, Zee TV, Star
Plus, Star One, Zoom, CNBC TV18, 9X, Channel
9 Gold etc. And featured in a couple of movies from 2000 to 2010.
Simone Singh also emerged as
a sought after emcee with events like Sansui Awards, Laadli Media
Awards, Indian Telly Awards to her credit, along with several other events including product launches.
She is a socialite and fashion icon. She's a favourite
across fashion blogs, still called the most stylish star on TV, and listed
among hottest female Page 3 faces in India (recently by MensXP e-zine).
Simone was also one of the judges in the Bangalore round of ZEE India's Best Cinestars ki Khoj in 2004. She served on the jury of Vogue Beauty Awards in 2011, HT Mumbai's Most Stylish Awards (2012-2013), Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (2012-2013).
She is a contributor to magazines like Vogue, Hello! , Verve, Upper Crust, Elle, You and I etc., on lifestyle related topics.
She has also been a narrator and lent her voice to a documentary, Narmada: Power to People (2011).
Simone spent last few years hosting talk shows such as Leap of
Faith (ET-Now, 2010), spending time at home and taking spiritual courses etc. She maintains
she has never planned anything and was never
too ambitious. "I am a dabbler, a dilettante. I never had the ambitious streak in me. I
never wanted to be in news courtesy some quotes. Offers have always
chased me, including film leads. I kept on refusing them for I never
wanted to be an actress. Sounds cliched, but in my case it's really
true." (quote in The Hindu, 2006)
She is said to have refused several offers on television after Heena since she did not want to get stuck in daily serial routine with no work life balance. She is choosy about roles and subjects of shows she takes up. In her interviews, she maintains she is happy with the kind of work she has done.
HER NAME - "Simone" is French for "The Beautiful One"
BIRTHDAY- 10 November, 1974
SUNSIGN - Scorpio
HEIGHT - 5'1"
FATHER - Daljit Singh, former Ranji Trophy cricketer, qualified coach, BCCI Chief curator
MOTHER - Krishna, a Bengali
SIBLING - Dipannita, younger sister
SPOUSE - Farhad Samar, producer, filmmaker, author
SCHOOL - D.B.M.S. English School, Jamshedpur, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Delhi
HOMETOWN - Has roots in Chandigarh, grew up in Jamshedpur, Bangalore and Delhi and finally came to Mumbai
FAVOURITE ROLES - She does not have any favourites as such but says she enjoyed playing Rupal in Sea Hawks and Madhulika in A Mouthful of Sky.
FIRST SHOW - A Mouthful of Sky
FIRST JOB and SALARY - Was a third assistant director and also helped with the costumes for a show in Delhi. Got paid 3500 bucks.
MOST FAMOUS ROLE ON TV - Heena
MOST FAMOUS ONSCREEN PAIRING - With Anup Soni in Seahawks
MOST FAMOUS APPEARANCE IN FILMS - In Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) and Kal Ho Na Ho (2003) as Rukhsaar and Camilla
MOST ACCLAIMED ROLE IN FILMS - As Tina Sethna in Being Cyrus (2006)
FAVOURITE ONSCREEN LOOK - Heena and Camilla in Kal Ho na Ho
ENDORSEMENTS - Lakme, Garnier, Ultra Doux, Ponds, Nirma, Santoor, Pantene, Samsung, Punjab Jewellers, Everest Masala, Meena Bazaar etc.
FAVOURITE PASTIME/HOBBIES - Spending time with family, being at home, travelling with husband, reading, cooking, baking, shopping
FAVOURITE SMELL - Smell of wet earth after first rains
FAVOURITE FEATURE - Her favourite feature of hers is her nose.
FIRST CRUSH - Vinod Khanna (after she watched him in a movie)
FAVOURITE ACTOR - Russel Crowe
FAVOURITE BEAUTY/STYLE ICONS - Madonna & Audrey Hepburn
FAVOURITE VACATION SPOTS - Goa, New York and Europe
TALENTS - Simone sings well, is a trained Kathak dancer and can play the guitar. She also has a flair for design and is personally involved in styling her look for projects she works in.
FAVOURITE CUISINE - Italian. Also loves Japanese, Thai and Chinese.
BEST ADVICE - We live in a world that is overly focused on appearance. And while it is a blessing to be beautiful, people might also be touched by your kindness; therefore enjoy your sparkling wit or be informed by your intellect. After all, physical beauty is only one part of a well-developed personality, and there are other qualities that can make us unique.
[!NOCOPY]
In Simone Singh's own words - she was thinking of returning to television and could not refuse the offer when she was approached with the role of Sakshi Goenka in Ek Hasina Thi as it was a very strong and author-backed role. She said she likes to challenge herself and took up Sakshi Goenka's role as she had never done a negative role before. "The role of Sakshi Goenka was very enticing as she is rich, powerful and dominating. It is a very fascinating role yet there is a dichotomy about her. There is a certain kind of mystic aura around her as everyone close to her is intimidated by her personality. She can do anything to safe guard her family and her softer side is only visible when her family is under threat" - Simone Singh quoted in Times Of India.
"The part of Sakshi Goenka was narrated to me as a strong, powerful,
author-backed character with shades of grey and that was a draw for me
as I'd never played a role like this on TV before," Simone said. "Sakshi
Goenka has a dark side to her but is also a complex, nuanced
personality. She is not one dimensional in any way and I wanted to imbue
her character with humanity and charm," she said. Considering that
actors doing TV get typecast, Simone is not apprehensive playing a
negative role. "This never occurred to me at the time I accepted the
part. The way I see it, I have had the opportunity to play diverse
characters so far, simply by being judicious in my choice of roles, so I
don't have any worries on this count," she said. - BollywoodLife
Ek Hasina Thi also marked the return of Simone Singh's jodi with Ayub Khan (who plays her husband Rajnath Goenka) with whom she was earlier seen in Aandhi and Kasshish on Zee TV.
Simone Singh, as Sakshi Goenka has been
getting rave reviews from all quarters for her looks, style, one liners and
performance. The "Sakshi Goenka" dresses and
jewellery have already become a hit among viewers in real life within few
months since Ek Hasina Thi went on air. "Sakshi Goenka dresses", "Sakshi Goenka jewellery", "Sakshi Goenka Hairtstyle", "Sakshi Goenka sarees" and "Sakshi Goenka necklace" have even been included in suggested keywords on Google search indicating the rising popularity of all aspects of her character.
Simone is getting a good response from the audience, family and
friends. "I have been getting appreciative calls and messages from
friends and colleagues. People I haven't seen for years have gotten in
touch to say they have loved my performance. Audience feedback has also
been positive for our show," she said, in an interview.
Six months of the show going on air and Simone Singh has already been named #1 Villain on TV by Zoom Telly Talk, won the Indian Telly Award and the Indian Television Academy Award for Best Actress in a Negative Role for her role as Sakshi Goenka in Ek Hasina Thi.⭐️
1990s*:
FICTION
A Mouthful of Sky (Madhulika, Doordarshan/DD Metro, 1994/1995)
Seahawks (Rupal, Doordarshan/DD Metro, 1994/1995)
Swabhimaan (Gayatri, Doordarshan, 1995)
Thoda hai thode ki zaroorat hai (Chandni, Sony TV, 1997)
Gaatha (Star Plus, 1997)
Ajeeb Dastaan hai Yeh (Anita, 1997)
Jhootha Sach (Zee TV, 1997)
Heena (Heena, Sony TV, 1998)
Hello Friends (Zee TV, 1999)
NON FICTION SHOWS AS HOST in 1990s :
Chitrahar
Superhit Muqabla
(Both on Doordarshan/DD Metro, mid/late 90s)
*Complete information about work done by Simone in 1990s is not available online, hence the list might not be fully correct or exhaustive*
Late 90s-2000:
Rishtey/Love Stories (episodics) - Zee TV
Star Bestsellers - Star Plus
(Exact year of airing of episodes not confirmed)
2000s**
FICTION
CID (special appearance, as Heena, 2001)
Tum Pukar Lo (Zee TV, 2001)
Aandhi (Chandni, Zee TV, 2003)
Talaash (Sahara, 2003)
Kasshish (Pia, Zee TV, 2005)
Viraasat (Anoushka Lamba, Star One, 2007)
NON FICTION SHOWS AS HOST in 2000s:
Blockbuster (Channel 9 Gold, 2000/2001)
Sare Jahan Se Achcha (Zee TV, 2000)
Kosmic Chat (Zoom, 2004/2005)
The Lounge (CNBC-TV18, 2004)
Change Your Outlook (CNBC-TV18, 2006)
Mission Ustaad (9X, 2007)
Down the Memory lane: Filmfare Awards Flashback (Zoom, 2008/2009)
**List of works done by Simone Singh in 2000s might also not be fully complete as exact information of all work done by her on television in early 2000s is not available online
2010s
NON FICTION AS HOST
Leap of Faith (ET NOW, 2010)
Life & Times of a Star (Zing TV, 2011)
FICTION
Ek Hasina Thi (Sakshi Goenka, Star Plus, 2014)
***Simone has also hosted shows in English language on TV channels abroad in last few years. But exact list of shows is not available online.
MOVIES
2001 - Ek Rishta: A Bond of Love (Priya Kapoor)
2001 - Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (Rukhsaar)
2002 - Sur: A Melody of Life (Divya)
2002 - Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya Hai (Meghna)
2003 - Kal Ho Na Ho (Camilla)
2003 - Ssshhh
2005 - Being Cyrus (Tina Sethna)
2007 - Delhi Heights (Saima)
2008 - Bhram: An Illusion (Vinita D. Rawal)
2008 - Via Darjeeling (Preeti R. Sen)
2009 - 99 (Jahnavi)
2010 - Rann (Priya Malik-Shankalya)
2010 - Marigold (special appearance)
2010 - Gumshuda