Indian cinema produced several stars in the 90s, but none other than Divya Bharti became a much-talked-about sensation in a very short span with her dazzling looks and successful movies in her three-year brief showbiz career.
Divya stepped into Bollywood in the 90s. She won a million hearts with her acting in the several flicks including commercially successful Deewana, but unfortunate for her fans Divya’s acting career did not last long.
She made her debut with a lead role in the successful Telugu drama Bobbili Raja (1990), aged 16. After featuring in a number of high-grossing Telugu films, she progressed to Bollywood films in 1992 with the action thriller Vishwatma.
And the popular song in Vishwatma, Saat Samundar Paar brought to light Divya like anything. Soon after the song became a viral hit, everyone by that time knew the new star is born.
Divya was born in Mumbai on February 25, 1974 to Omprakash Bharti, an insurance officer, and his second wife Meeta Bharti, a housewife. She had a younger brother called Kunal.
Just as she turned 18, Divya decided to get married to Sajid Nadiadwala whom she met while working on the sets of Shola Aur Shabnam . Nadiadwala had reportedly, according to TOI, come to meet actor Govinda but fell in love with Divya Bharti.
According to reports in the media released during that time, Divya Bharti’s body was sent for examination and a fair amount of alcohol was found in her blood. It’s not clear whether the actress was made to drink it or she had it willfully.
The fateful night of her mysterious death
On 5 April 1993, around 11 PM, Bharti fell off the balcony of her fifth floor apartment at the Tulsi buildings in Versova, Mumbai.
After neighbours discovered her, she was rushed in an ambulance to the emergency department at Cooper Hospital Mumbai where doctors failed to revive her.
The immediate cause of death was stated as the heavy internal bleeding at the back of the head which was severely injured.
The reason of falling was never established and several theories circulated in the media during that time, including push by someone, involvement of her husband, falling under influence of alcohol and underworld mafia.
The investigation was closed in 1998 by Mumbai police after five years of her death and the reason of death was stated as accidental death.
Senior Mumbai cop Arup Patnaik while investigating the case in 1993 had said: “When one contemplated suicide, the idea is to die. but when in the act, an automatic instinct of survival comes into you, you try to save yourself and while doing this you go on a spin also.”
“Whether Divya Bharti deliberately went on the ledge to commit suicide, nobody knows. But the act which she did was not a normal act,” it was reported.
Crossing your window sill and sitting on the ledge below and that too in a state of drunkenness is certainly not a normal act. That resultant death has to fall in the grey area between murder and accident.
A key witness who also ‘mysteriously’ died a month after Divya’s demise
Police galvanized into action and interrogated famous designer Neeta Lulla, her husband Shyam Lulla who were present with Divya at the time she fell from the building. Another lady was present at the home and she was Divya’s maid Amrita who looked after the actress since her childhood. And Divya’s family had a lot of trust on the maid.
Call it coincidence or something else, Amrita died within 30 days of Divya’s death due to reported cardiac arrest. Hence she could not be questioned by the police.
Else, as per some reports, her version of the fateful night could have been vital for the police to resolve the case, which is now a mystery.
Mumbai blasts, Divya’s death and the conspiracy theories
At the time of Divya’s death on 5 April 1993, several sections of the Indian print media published pieces casting connections, though still unproved, between Divya’s death and Mumbai blasts on 12 March, 1993 due to her husband’s alleged connection with the underworld. But none of the conspiracy theories could prove true.
Secret marriage
Divya had married Sajid in 1992 but kept the nuptial knot secret to protect her prosperous career from any controversy. She had changed her name to Sana Nadiadwala after marrying the Muslim Bollywood producer. These details came to light after her demise.
She had changed her name to Sana Nadiadwala after marrying the Muslim Bollywood producer. But kept it a secret and did not declare. These details came to light after her demise.
Bharti’s film career, despite being short lived was extremely busy and made her an important name both in the world of Telugu and Hindi Cinema. Her 3 year long career was full of ups as well as downs. She told Stardust Magazine during a bad phase in 1992, “I wanted to prove myself. But I’ve fallen flat on my face. Now, I have to begin my climb all over again. Yet, I’m positive that one day, success will be mine.”
Bharti was the sensation of the super hit song ‘Saat Samundar Par.’ Bharti was the Sri Devi of the Telugu Film world.
She achieved the Filmfare Award for ‘Lux new face of the year’ for her role in Deewana. There are no answers for Bharti’s death, but her life is an inspiration through her achievements.
SRK and Sunil Shetty shot to fame after making debut opposite Divya Bharti
Bharti was the first actress who Shah Rukh Khan acted opposite in his debut movie Deewana. SRK by then was widely recognised after that movie. Similarly Sunil Shetty also made a debut opposite Divya in Balwaan
And the movie also proved fruitful for the career of Shetty, who is now one of the popular Bollywood actors.
WATCH: Pakistani TV legend Moin Akhtar interviewing Divya Bharti at a concert in Dubai in the 90s
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