Benafsha Soonawalla is an Indian actress, model, and video jockey. She is known for participating in Big Boss 11 (2017 to 18). She was a video jockey with MTV India. She also participated in Roadies X4 (2016). She acted in the Netflix film Chopsticks (2019).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Benafsha was born on Monday, 2 October 1995 (age 28 years; as of 2024) in Goa, India. Her zodiac sign is Libra.
A picture of Benafsha Soonawalla when she was a baby
She did her schooling at the Villa Theresa High School in Mumbai. She completed her graduation from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Goa. In 2018, she completed her postgraduate degree from the ISME School of Management and Entrepreneurship in Mumbai.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Weight (approx.): 50 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): 30-26-28
Family
Benafsha was born into a Goan Parsi family.
Parents & Siblings
There is not much information about her parents. She has a younger brother.
Benafsha Soonawalla with her grandparents (left) and with her parents and brother (right)
Relationships/Affairs
She was in a relationship with former Splitsvilla participant Varun Sood. Over two years after breaking up, Benafsha posted on Instagram that Varun was immature, dishonest, and cheated on her. In response, Varun stated that he was past the relationship. Three months after their break up, he found out Benafsha allegedly cheated on him. In a 2020 interview, he made the statement,
Today, we both are happy in our respective relationships- she’s with Priyank and I’m with Divya Agarwal.” [1]BollywoodShaadis.com
Benafsha Soonawalla with Varun Sood
She then got into a relationship with ex Bigg Boss 11 contestant, Priyank Sharma. Her ex-boyfriend, Varun alleged that her affair with Priyank started when they were on the set of Big Boss 11. Benafsha and Priyank stated that they were good friends at first and only confirmed their relationship several months after leaving Big Boss, in 2018. [2]TellyChakkar In 2021, Priyank spoke about their relationship being strong amidst many rumours in the media. The couple have since broken up.
Benafsha Soonawalla with Priyank Sharma
Career
Television & Film
Benafsha joined MTV India as a video jockey.
Benafsha Soonawalla during her days as an MTV video jockey (2016)
She then participated in one of India’s biggest youth-based reality shows, Roadies X4 (2016). She was also seen hosting Channel V’s Campus Diaries, alongside her ex-boyfriend, Varun Sood. In 2017, she participated in Bigg Boss season 11.
Benafsha Soonawalla’s (second from left) Bigg Boss entry
She was the host of MTV Pantaloons Style Super Stars, a fashion reality show that ran from 2019 to 2020 for two seasons. The show aimed to help the winner begin their career in the fashion industry. In 2019, she also appeared on an episode of the show The Royal Palate. In 2020, she appeared on The Zoom Studios show, Pyaar Dosti Hai with Priyank Sharma. She also hosted the television show The Gypsies (2021).
Benafsha Soonawalla (left) with her The Gypsies co-host
In 2022, she appeared in the music video for the song Sun Le by Shaan. In 2022, she hosted the reality show Playground which aired on Amazon miniTV. In 2023, she featured on the song “Boyfriend” with rapper Dino James. In 2019, she starred as the character Ananya in the Netflix film Chopsticks.
Modelling
Benafsha has modelled for magazines and walked on ramps. In 2019, she did a shoot with Vogue India. She has also been featured in Femina magazine. In 2020, she appeared on the editorial cover of the Grandeur Lifestyle Magazine. She was also on the cover of Fitvilla magazine’s January 2021 issue.
Benafsha Soonawalla on the cover of Fitvilla magazine
In 2021, she also did an editorial shoot with FitLook magazine and WedLook magazine. In 2022, she was the opener for fashion designer Pallavi Goyal at the Times Fashion Week.
Favourites
- Food: Rice, sabzi roti, chicken, yoghurt, dessert
- Singers: Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus
- Actors: Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Leonardo DiCaprio
- Actresses: Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone
- Colours: Red, black, white
Facts/Trivia
- She loves singing, dancing, and travelling. In an interview, she revealed that travelling is a necessity for her. [3]The Times of India
- She is a non-vegetarian. In an interview, she stated that she doesn’t follow any diet and focuses on exercising. She gave credit to her genes when asked about how she maintained her body. [4]WomenFitness
- Benafsha is known as “Benn” among her friends, family, and fans.
- In 2021, she gave a TEDx talk at the Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College (GGDSD) in Chandigarh.
A poster for Benafsha Soonawala’s TEDx talk at the GGDSD College in Chandigarh
- She is a fitness enthusiast. In an interview, she mentioned that she likes going to the gym and lifting.
- She is very fond of car racing.
Benafsha Soonawalla in a racing car
- As of March 2024, she has 1 million followers on Instagram and 51.7K followers on Twitter.
References
| ↑1 | BollywoodShaadis.com |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | TellyChakkar |
| ↑3 | The Times of India |
| ↑4 | WomenFitness |
