The millennials today may not even know there existed a star called Divya Bharti who was hailed as the rising sensation of the early 90s, a blooming life nipped in the bud ! Revisiting the life and times of an actress who showed immense star appeal and promise only to be snatched away by a cruel turn of destiny.
With her family, brother Kunal, mother Mita and father Om Prakash (1992)
Born in 1974, Divya was raised in Bombay and film actors Sharman Joshi and Farhan Akhtar were her school batch mates till standard tenth. While her classmates pursued higher studies, Divya’s ambitious mother pushed her in the glamorous world of films, at 15 she started acting in Telugu films. Bobilli Raja(1990) was a blockbuster and Divya became a much sought after teen sensation down south. It wasn’t long before Bollywood producers started making a beeline for Divya to sign the dotted line for them. 
A still photograph from her Movie magazine shoot (1993)
She was signed on and unceremoniously dropped from projects like Radha Ka Sangam(1991), Saudagar (1991) and two more shelved movies, but her determination and will power was so strong that the sixteen year old protégée continued looking for plum projects in Bollywood. In 1991 she signed her first movie for Trimurti films, and within no time had signed a dozen films even before the release of her debut ! In 1992 the year of her debut she had nine theatrical releases! An achievement not equalled by any other newcomer till date (2021).
Due to her cherubic face and expressive eyes she was compared to the superstar Sridevi. She was also adjudged as the biggest threat to Madhuri Dixit’s position. While her contemporaries were struggling Divya had marched far ahead with box Office hits like Deewana(1992), Shola Aur Shabnam(1992) and Dil Hi To Hai(1993). It is alleged she was shooting round the clock much on the insistence of her mother who had a major control on her professional life.
In a scene from her super hit Deewana(1992) with co stars Shahrukh Khan and Rishi Kapoor.
In 1993 Divya was a part of the most prestigious banners and was being pursued by top rank filmmakers to act in their movies. It was around this time that her secret marriage to film producer Sajid Nadiadwala was exposed by a leading gossip magazine, even publishing the nikaah nama. Contrary to popular belief that marriage ends a heroine’s career, Divya’s career shot to superstardom. The controversial wedding had no adverse effect on Divya’s popularity or star status. Producers claimed they’d complete faith in her dedication and professionalism. 
With husband Sajid Nadiadwala in a party in 1992
And then on a fateful night in April 1993 Divya fell from the fifth floor of her apartment and died tragically while on the way being driven to cooper hospital. Her shocking death was shrouded in mystery that is not solved even after three decades. As is customary in sensational deaths of celebrities there were various theories inflicted on Divya’s death case.
Some claimed she committed suicide due to acute depression arising out of domestic issues with her husband, pressures from her over demanding mother and stress related to her career, there was another theory that she was allegedly pushed off the balcony as she had cracked a secret related to the Bombay blasts and Nadiadwala’s connection with the underworld. But the accident theory was largely accepted by all that she was under the influence of alcohol and accidentally slipped off the balcony while sitting on the edge and fell to her death. The case was closed.
Celebrating her 19th (last) birthday in February 1993 on the sets of Kartavya with co stars and technicians. Sajid is also in the picture standing behind Moushumi Chatterjee.
One would never know what exactly happened that night. The prime witnesses , Divya’s fashion designer Nita Lulla(and her husband) claimed it was a freak accident, Divya’s maid Amrita who had been taking care of her for almost fifteen years withdrew into depression and died mysteriously after a few months. She was mourned by her fans for some time and over the years forgotten. Husband Sajid paid tribute to her in his movies for some years and then stopped, Raat gayi baat gayi.
Some of the movies she was acting in and had to be replaced due to her untimely death were Mohra(Raveena Tandon), Vijaypath(Tabu), Aag (Shilpa Shetty), Laadla (Sridevi), Kartavya(Juhi Chawla), Angrakshak(Pooja Bhatt). There were some like Bajrang, Ek Kadam Aagey and Kanyadan that were shelved. Though hypothetical one can’t deny that had she lived she would have climbed greater steps of success in the 90s and May have even reached the numero uno position, you never know.
At the Shola Aur Shabnam success party with Govinda and Anil Kapoor (1992)
Suicide, murder or accident ? We shall never know. But Divya was certainly that shooting star in the sky who briefly made an everlasting impact on the impressionable minds of cinema lovers in the early 90s!
Image courtesy: Yahoo Images
Comments
Post a Comment