at the launch of trade magazine
Blockbuster, 2012. Somaaya started her career as a film journalist and columnist with in 1978, and writing the column, "Casually Speaking" in film weekly,
Cinema Journal published by
The Free Press Journal. After working in
Super magazine (1980–1981), she joined the
Movie magazine published by
India Book House as an assistant editor and became co-editor in 1985, and worked here till 1988. In 1989, she became the editor of
G, a film magazine by
Chitralekha Group. This was followed by her tenure as editor of noted film weekly,
Screen from 2000 to 2007. Meanwhile, she has also worked as costume designer, for actress
Shabana Azmi in films like
Kaamyaab (1984),
Bhavna (1984),
Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar (1984) and
Main Azaad Hoon (1989). with Bhawana Somaaya at 92.7 BIG FM studio to promote
Satyamev Jayate series, 2012. Over the years, her columns have appeared in publications like
The Observer,
Afternoon,
Janmabhoomi,
The Hindu,
The Hindustan Times and
Indian Express. In 1999, she started her career as an author, with biography,
Amitabh: The Legend. This led to biographies of other film celebrities like
Hema Malini, plus two more book of
Amitabh Bachchan,
Bachchanalia – The Films And Memorabilia of Amitabh Bachchan (2009) and
Amitabh Lexicon (2011).
Bachchanalia was co-authored by the Osians Centre for Archiving, Research & Development (CARD) and also included publicity material from the 40 years of his film career. She has also written books on
Hindi cinema history,
Salaam Bollywood (2000) and
Take 25 – Star Insights and Attitudes (2002), which was released by actress
Rekha at a function in Mumbai and entailed Somaaya's 25 years as a film journalist. This was followed by
The Story So Far (2003) published by
Indian Express and
Talking Cinema: Conversations with Actors and Film-Makers (2013). Shifting to television, in 2008, when she joined Swastik Pictures, a television production company, which made TV series,
Amber Dhara as a media consultant. In May 2012, she started appearing on air, as a Friday-film reviewer,
BIG FM 92.7, Reliance Media's FM radio station. In 2012, she joined
Blockbuster, the newly launched film trade magazine. In 2019, she started a podcast on epilog media - #MeriKahani with Bhawana Somaaya. Currently, she is the Entertainment Editor at 92.7 Big FM Radio network. She is a classical dancer, a podcaster and author of 19 books. Her books are a point of reference for students studying cinema at Whistling Woods, Mumbai, Manipal University, Mangalore and JNU, Delhi. Apart from books on cinema, she has also written Keshava: A Magnificent Obsession and Shaping of The Seed: The Ancient Wisdom of Garbh Sanskaar She has even translated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Gujarati books
Saakshi Bhaav and
Aankh Aa Dhanya Chhe into English as
Letters to Mother and Letters to Self in 2020 and 2022 respectively. == Humanitarian and social causes ==