Divya Bharti made it big in the Hindi and Telugu film industry at the age of 16 but exited it quite suddenly—and tragically. What could have been a promising career ended abruptly when Bharati died in 1993 — she was only 19 — in a freak accident, months after her secret marriage to director-producer Sajid Nadiadwala.
Bharti reportedly lost her balance while perched on her balcony’s ledge at her fifth-floor apartment in Versova and fell to death. Many conspiracy theories emerged after her death; some called it murder, others said it was a case of suicide and Nadiadwala was the usual suspect.
But within that short career, Bharti managed to squeeze in a lot more — 21 films to her name — than most people do, personally or professionally.
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Can’t study, won’t study
Born on 25 February 1974 in Mumbai to Meeta and Om Prakash Bharti, Divya loved to act in front of the mirror and dance. She took baby steps by featuring in some advertisements at the age of 14. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, her parents revealed that she joined the film industry as an escape from her studies. A bubbly girl who hated academics and wasn’t good at it either, Meeta said in the interview, Bharti was persistently approached by a producer’s manager and was told she wouldn’t need to pursue studies if she acted full-time. Her ultimate aim, though, was to become a homemaker.
However, what she thought was her escape route became a rough ride and eventually unfolded as the path to glamour and freedom. After many false starts — she was replaced by Juhi Chawla in Radha ka Sangam, Tabu in Prem, and Manisha Koirala in Saudagar — she made a dream debut in the Telugu film Bobbili Raja opposite Venkatesh in 1990.
The film’s success was followed by a few minor roles in more Telugu films, and Bharti soldiered on. In 1991, she delivered a couple of hits — Rowdy Alludu opposite Chiranjeevi and Assembly Rowdy opposite Mohan Babu. That was also when Hindi movie directors sat up and took note of her talent.
The following year, Bharti debuted in Hindi films with action-thriller Vishwatma. She shared the screen with seasoned actors such as Naseeruddin Shah and Sunny Deol but managed to hold her own. With the iconic song Saat Samundar Paar from Vishwatma, Bharti danced her way into the audience’s hearts even though the film had fairly average box office collections. Today, Instagram reels have ensured that the song is a part of public memory.
Bharti, meanwhile, went ahead to deliver more hits in 1992. Shola Aur Shabnam opposite Govinda turned out to be one of the biggest grossers in the latter’s career. Then came Deewana opposite Rishi Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan. In the first half of the film, she played a young girl besotted with Kapoor’s character, while in the second, she brought gravitas to her role of a wife who lost her husband and is hesitant to move on. Deewana landed both Bharti and SRK Filmfare awards for the Best Debut category.
Besides these big hits, Bharti delivered many more films in 1992 — Jaan Se Pyaara alongside Govinda, Geet opposite Avinash Wadhawan, Dushman Zamana alongside Armaan Kohli, and action drama Balwaan, Sunil Shetty’s debut. She also acted in Hema Malini’s directorial debut Dil Aashna Hai, which did not do well, though Bharti’s acting earned her critical appreciation. Her last Hindi movie released before her death was Kshatriya with Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, and Raveena Tandon.
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Her own person
One of the highest-paid actors of the early 1990s, Bharti lived life on her own terms. While she delivered hit after hit, she didn’t take her success or herself too seriously. She had a mind of her own in an industry where female actors were constantly chaperoned and given little agency.
Bharti is known to have schooled Aamir Khan on his “starry attitude” after the actor refused to perform with her on a tour. She told Stardust: “It’s sad that he’s got the attitude that he’s senior and that if we juniors make mistakes we’re out…He should behave like a senior, not a star.”
Bharti’s co-stars remember her fondly. Sunil Shetty called her “spontaneous and brilliant at everything she did”; Somy Ali recalled how they got together during the shooting of Andolan. Govinda, who was often linked up with Bharti back in the day, had once said how there was a second marriage in his horoscope, hinting at the Vishwatma actress.
Her marriage to Nadiadwala was met with resistance — her father was unhappy; her mother refused to be a witness. But Bharti converted to Islam, adopted the name Sana, and married Nadiadwala secretly. She continued to stay with her parents till Nadiadwala himself told them, and they accepted their relationship.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)