Bold & beautiful Rakhi Sawant is a famous Bollywood actress. She is popular as an item girl in India.

Love her, hate her, but it is impossible to ignore her. Rakhi Sawant's persona, some would say, has been carved out of controversies.

Rakhi Sawant was born on 25th November 1978 in Mumbai to a Marathi Hindu family. Her original name Neeru Sawant.

Her mother is Usha Sawant and father was a police constable . She has a brother, Rakesh and a sister, Jaya. She is related to director Rakesh Sawant and former actress Jaya Sawant. Rakhi's sister Jaya also acted in two films but quit after her marriage. Rakhi's brother Rakesh is a director awaiting the release of his controversial debut film 'Hot Money', which stars his sister.

She was earlier married, later they are seperated.


As she belongs to a very poor family she did not get a chance to get a proper education. Rakhi studied in Goklibai School, Vile Parle and later studied Arts at Mithibai College Family.

Rakhi Sawant began her career as a cabaret dancer, and came into limelight with the remix number Pardesiya.


Rakhi Sawant was only 14 year old when director Suneel Darshan she was offered her first item number opposite Govinda for the movie "Joru ka Gulam" in 2000.


Three years later, in 2003, she auditioned for an item number in the Bollywood movie, Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne. She auditioned about four times before being finally selected for her breakthrough item number, "Mohabbat Hai Mirchi". Since then, she has appeared in some Hindi films and few Kannada, Marathi, Telugu and Tamil films in roles commonly attributed to item girls.

Rakhi is associated with PETA. She has donned tiger's costume for PETA’s Save Circus Animals project. She has also done a chat show named 'The Rakhi Sawant Show'. Aamir Khan was the first guest on the show.

In 2007, Rakhi made her singing debut in the album titled Super Girl launched by Venus Records & Tapes Pvt. Ltd. The album`s video Yarra Na Dil Laga featured Rakhi as a computer generated super girl who saves the civilians from various adversities.


The 5 feet 5 inch tall Rakhi, is known as 'Controversy Queen'. Bold and revealing dresses and bindaas comments on all and sundry have been a boon as well as a bane for this starlet.

In 2009, Sawant launched her reality show Rakhi Ka Swayamwar in which she planned to select her future husband with a swayamvara. On 2 August 2009 she choose her life partner, a contestant from Toronto, Canada, Elesh Parujanwala. However, during the finale of the reality show Pati, Patni Aur Woh several months later, Sawant announced that the couple had separated due to irreconcilable differences.

Known as the "Item Girl" of Bollywood, Rakhi has been charged for Obscenity for her gestures and skimpy costume at a stage show in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

She has also hurt religious sentiment of Buddhism by saying controversial stuffs against this religion.

The famous lip locking controversy of Rakhi and Mika Singh has also made headlines in past. She filed a police complaint against Mika, who misbehaved with her at his birthday party.

A few months later, after her controversy with Mika Singh, she appeared in the first season of the reality show Bigg Boss and was among the top four finalists. She received wider notice as a contestant for her dramatic fights with her housemates in Big Boss's house.


In Koffee With Karan, Rakhi first time admitted that she has done plastic surgery. And in Nach Balilye, Rakhi had a wardrobe malfunction.

She formerly dated Abhishek Avasthi with whom she participated in Nach Baliye 3. After the couple lost the contest against Sanjeeda Sheikh and Aamir Ali in 2007, they filed a suit against Star Plus accusing the channel of tampering with the audience voting system. In November 12, 2008 she broke up finally from her boyfriend Abhishek on Zoom TV.


Rakhi has also performed in Indian Cricket League 2nd Final on November 15, 2008. About 70,000 people were present that time in the ground.