Flashback# WHERE IS NEETA MEHTA?

A tall, benign sophisticated woman clad in gerua robes, a picture of peace, epitome of spirituality, soft spoken and mature, nobody would guess this spiritually awakened yogini was once a glamorous Bollywood star! That’s 70s and 80s glamour girl Neeta Mehta who’s metamorphosed into a spiritual guru Maa with a new name Swami Nityanand Giri. 

Neeta during a modelling shoot (1976) 

Neeta Mehta was born in 1956 in an academically effluent Gujarati family. Not inclined towards academics she enrolled at FTII Pune acting course when she was only 16 and soon entered the glamorous Make belief world of Hindi cinema. Her debut Ponga Pandit(1975) opposite Randhir Kapoor was a runaway hit but success didn’t come knocking at Neeta’s door that easily. While her contemporaries were flooded with a dozen offers at one go, Neeta wasn’t exactly PR savvy and lagged behind in the rat race. 

In a still from Ponga Pandit(1975) with Danny Dengzongpa and Prema Narayan. 

She moved at a snail’s pace with movies like Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki(1978), Shaayad(1979) and was soon in the news for an alleged affair with perfectionist actor and fellow Gujarati Sanjeev Kumar who co starred with her in movies like Yehi Hai Zindagi(1977), Jani Dushman(1979), Paththar Se Takkar(1980) and Hero(1983). Apparently Kumar wanted Neeta to give up movies after marriage and she was adamant to continue acting which put an abrupt end to their brief association. 

With her most favourite Co actor Sanjeev Kumar in Paththar Se Takkar(1980) 

In the 80s with the advent of more cut throat competition from younger and ambitious actresses Neeta’s career as a lead actor took a backseat, she did appear in movies like Naari(1981) in a leading role but was soon sidelined to supporting roles in movies such as Dhanwan(1981),Kaamchor(1982), Rishta Kaagaz Ka(1983), Nauker Biwi Ka(1983), Jeene Nahi Doonga(1984), Swarg Se Sunder(1986) and others. 

With Naseeruddin Shah and Manisha Munshi in Shaayad(1979) 

Neeta had pursued the acting course and embarked on the Bollywood journey to fulfil her ambitious dream of becoming a successful leading lady, but by the mid 80s she was confined to playing an elder sister, sympathetic doctor or a lawyer, by the late 80s she quit playing these inconsequential roles and bid goodbye to the glamorous Bollywood career, she started a jewellery business in Mumbai (then Bombay) focussing on retail as well as export business. 

With Vinod Khanna in Raj Khosla’s hit Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki(1978).

In 1995 she closed shop and by her own confession had a spiritual awakening that led to a complete transformation in her vision and perspective towards life. Her family had been an ardent devotee of spiritual guru- Maa Anandmayee(1896-1982), and Neeta had been visiting her Ashram from her childhood, but it took almost four decades for her to crossover from the worldly desires and embark on a spiritual journey. 

Pictured in her transformed avatar as Swami Nityanand Giri. 

Neeta claims in an televised interview that she sacrificed all worldly desires and embraced the spiritual path towards divine awakening. She was entrusted a new name- Swami Nityanand Giri. Currently Neeta is following spirituality and has even penned a book dedicated to her Guru. She has disconnected from her past Bollywood connections and refuses to be addressed with her earlier name Neeta Mehta, living a pious and spiritually inclined “Satvik” lifestyle in Mumbai (with her visits to Rishikesh and Colorado as a part of her spiritual journey) Swami Nityanand Giri (once Neeta Mehta) leads a content and blissful life dedicated to spirituality and social work today. 

All images courtesy: Google Images