When Sonali Phogat fell in love with Aly Goni on Bigg Boss 14, slammed trolls for age shaming her and more

Sonali Phogat, who rose to popularity with Bigg Boss 14, is no more. The BJP leader and actress died in Goa due to a heart attack. Her demise has left many shocked. Here's taking a look at times she made headlines due to her personal and professional life.

Sonali Phogat was the National Vice President of BJP's Mahila Morcha. Phogat had contested 2019 assembly polls against Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, who recently switched to BJP, from Adampur assembly seat. Despite losing the election, her popularity soared as an internet sensation across the state. Sonali was apparently set to contest as the BJP candidate from Adampur in the upcoming bypolls. (Photo: Instagram)

Sonali was part of popular Punjabi and Haryanvi music videos. She also acted in the TV show 'Amma: Ek Maa Jo Laakhon Ke Liye Bani Amma' where she played the role of Nawab Shah's wife. In 2020, she entered Bigg Boss 14 as a wild card contestant. (Photo: Instagram)

In the house, Sonali did not shy away from expressing her feelings for Aly Goni, who she knew was in love with Jasmin Bhasin. She got massively trolled for it. In an exclusive interview with ETimes TV, she said, "I think if someone expresses his or her feelings for the other person, I feel more than making fun of that person, we should appreciate them. But when I shared my feelings about Aly Goni, people started trolling me. They made fun of me, passed remarks and questioned my thinking. I was shocked that we are living in 21st century. My feelings were pure, I didn’t have any malice in my heart."

After Bigg Boss 14, Sonali Phogat featured in a music video wherein she was seen in western outfits. She got trolled again for not looking age-appropriate. Talking to ETimes TV, she said, "I am seen in a western avatar and as you have seen in Bigg Boss house, I enjoy being dressed in fashionable outfits. But there are people who keep commenting, ‘Iss age mein aap ko shobha nahi deta iss tarah ke kapde. I really don’t care about their comments because people who love me are more as compared to the haters. Log toh kahenge logon ka kaam hai kehna. Jalti hai duniya jalane wala chahiye." (Photo: Instagram)

Sonali landed in major controversy after she beat up a member of Balsamand market secretary Sultan Singh in June 2020. She reportedly hit him with a slipper and accused him of abusing her. The video went viral on social media. (Photo: Instagram)

In a rally in October, 2019, in Balsamand village, Sonali asked people to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and said that those who did not do so must be from Pakistan. She was highly criticised for saying so and later had to apologise for her statement. (Photo: Instagram)

In Feb 2021, Sonali reported theft of valuables including gold and Rs 10 lakh cash from her house in Hisar, Haryana. The licensed revolver she possessed had also been stolen. Sonali Phogat, in her police complaint, alleged that she was in Chandigarh when the house was burgled on February 9. It was only when she returned on February 15 that she found the locks broken, according to police. While there were CCTV cameras in the house, the digital video recorder (DVR) that contained footage was taken away by the thieves, police said. HTM Station House Officer (SHO) Sukhjit said that the theft case was being probed.