Remembering Divya Bharti on her 27th death anniversay

Actor Divya Bharti died at nineteen: 27 years later, Her Fatal Fall From Her Balcony At The Age Of 19 Remains A Mystery which no one has solved.

Divya Bharti came from nowhere, set the silver screen ablaze with her sterling performance and spellbound-beauty and gone away to heavens equally fast. Divya Bharti’s life was cut tragically short after she died in 1993. Now, 27 years later, her sudden death still raises many unanswered questions. Speculations about her mysterious death still float among her fans and refuse to die down. 

Divya Bharti was considered one of the most popular, talented and vivacious actresses of her time. Divya Bharti’s short but eventful life was a stuff of legends, in some ways. Decades before nepotism would become a word that an outsider would cling to, she was a Bollywood outsider who made it big not only in Bollywood but in Telugu films too. She has no film lineage--her father was an insurance officer and mother, a housewife. Yet, what a staggering rise hers was.

Divya Bharti, born on February 25, 1974, in Mumbai to Omprakash Bharti and Meeta Bharti, attended high school in Juhu but dropped out after 9th grade when she started getting offers for films.

Career

In 1988, Bharti was discovered by filmmaker Nandu Tolani. Upon seeing her, Tolani insisted on signing her for one of his films. At that time, Bharti was in the ninth standard (in ninth grade). She was originally scheduled to make her screen debut in Gunahon Ka Devta in 1988, but her role was cancelled. Kirti Kumar noticed Bharti at a video library, and thus was eager to sign her for his project Radha Ka Sangam opposite Govinda, as he was searching for a new face. Weeks later, Kumar met with Dilip Shankar and managed to release Bharti from her contract. After taking dancing and acting lessons for months to prepare for her role, Bharti was eventually dropped and replaced by Juhi Chawla. Though the reasons remain unclear, it was speculated that Kumar's possessiveness over Bharti and her childish nature were the cause of her replacement.

It was at the age of 16 that Divya Bharti made her debut with the Telugu film itself Bobbili Raju (1990), opposite Venkatesh (Rana Daggubati’s uncle) was a massive hit and became a blockbuster and Divya Bharti became a huge star.  In fact, it is still recalled as one of the biggest Telugu hits of the ’90s. The teenaged actor would then go on to form winning combination with top Telugu actors Chiranjeevi, Mohan Babu and Nandamuri Balakrishna. Subsequently, she gave more hits like Rowdy Alludu and Assembly Rowdy in 1991.

Having established her toehold in Telugu films, it was time to try her luck in Hindi films. In fact, before her Telugu films came out, she had been considered for two prominent projects in Mumbai -- Radha Ka Sangam (with Govinda, a role which eventually went to Juhi Chawla) and Gunahon Ka Devta (1988 with Mithun Chakraborty) -- both got stalled. However, after her superstardom in Telugu films, there was no stopping Divya. Divya, who made her Bollywood debut in the film Dil Hi To Hai in 1992, got noticed in the industry with the Sunny Deol-starrer film Vishwatma the same year. Well, who could forget the very popular 'Saat Samundar Paar' song from the film? After that, she was roped in to work with big stars like Rishi Kapoor, Govinda, Sunil Shetty and many others.  From her debut film Vishwatma (1992) to Kshatriya (her last release during her lifetime), she took Hindi film industry by storm with her performances and worked in one successful film after another, most noteworthy being David Dhawan’s Govinda starrer Shola Aur Shabnum and Shah Rukh Khan and Rishi Kapoor starrer Deewana. She went on to act in over a dozen other films in her short career span and made a mark in the Hindi film industry.

Soon after, Divya Bharti was seen in 8 back-to-back films in the year 1992. Dil Ka Kya Kasoor flopped at the Box Office, but movies like Shola Aur Shabnam, Deewana, Balwaan and Jaan Se Pyaara became huge hits. Interestingly, Deewana was Shah Rukh Khan's debut and the duo's song - Aisi Deewangi was one of the most popular tracks of the year.

In March 1992, David Dhawan's Shola Aur Shabnam, starring Divya Bharti and Govinda was released. The film was a super hit and gave a big boost to Govinda's career.

Divya Bharti was rewarded as the Outstanding Face of the Year in 1992.

Divya Bharti starred opposite Jackie Shroff in two films - Dil Hi To Hai and Shatranj. While Dil Hi To Hai was directed by popular actor-comedian Asrani, it featured Jackie in a double role. Divya Bharti's second collaboration with Jackie was with Shatranj, which also starred Mithun Chakraborty and Juhu Chawla.

At the age of 16, she also met Sajid Nadiadwala. In the year 1990, when Govinda and Divya were shooting for the film 'Shola Aur Shabnam' at Filmcity, Sajid went on the sets to meet his friend Govinda. It is said that Govinda introduced both of them for the first time and after that Sajid started coming on the sets daily and he fell in love with Divya. Sajid himself once told in an interview that, "On 15 January 1992, Divya demanded to get married. The very next day she was very upset about her name being linked to another co-star.To answer such rumours she wanted to marry me. 

In the same year, On May 20, 1992, Divya-Sajid was married in the presence of hairdresser Sandhya and her husband and Kazi read her marriage in Sajid's Tulsi apartment in Versova. It is said that Divya accepted Islam and changed her name to 'Sana Nadiadwala'. In fact, Sajid himself had told in an interview, "We kept the matter of marriage hidden because Divya's career was at stake. If this thing went out, the producers would get scared. In contrast, I thought we had to make this thing known. Divya always wanted to tell everyone about her marriage. But I used to refuse her. Maybe I didn't want to do that." 

Looking at the films that she had either partially shot for and were later filled in my other actors or had signed on to work in, would give a sense of how excited the industry was with the prospect of this new and young star -- Anil Kapoor and Raveena Tandon’s Laadla (her role was reportedly later re-shot by Sridevi), she was replaced in Akshay Kumar’s Mohra, Ajay Devgn’s Vijaypath and Dilwale (all films went on to become hits). Divya Bharti had even shot a few portions of Mohra. She has projects lined up with actors Akshay Kumar (Parinaam), Salman Khan (Do Kadam), Rishi Kapoor (Kanyadaan), Sunny Deol (Bajrang) and Jackie Shroff (Chal Pe Chal). Does it get any bigger in Bollywood of the ’90s?

Divya Bharti’s rise to stardom and her untimely death April 5,1993 continues to intrigue fans, 27 years after her death. Was is an accident or was there more to it?

As per police files, Divya’s death remains an accident. The young actor was in an inebriated state when she walked on the ledge of her 5th floor home’s balcony in Mumbai, slipped and fell. She was reportedly still breathing when she was rushed to the hospital but died on arrival. She was declared dead on arrival. Divya died of fatal head injuries.

However, her fans refuse to believe that a star so promising and an actor so young could have gone away. Conspiracy theories abound -- a random search on the internet will throw up a number of web sites, claiming many things. Some claimed it was a murder while others believed it was a case of suicide. An old Hindustan Times report from 2011 said how initially rumours were afloat that it was the handiwork of the underworld. Roshmila Bhattacharya wrote: “I remember the day…April 6, 1993. I’d just stepped into the office when I was informed that Divya Bharti had been shot. ‘Who took the pictures? Gautam Rajadhyaksha or Rakesh Shrestha?’ I enquired. My colleague responded by saying he wasn’t taking photographs. ‘She’s been gunned down, I’m told the underworld is involved,’ he whispered. I dismissed it as just a rumour, but within minutes, the news was confirmed that Divya was dead.”

“At the hospital, we learnt that Divya had apparently slipped from the ledge on which she’d been perched. There were whispers of suicide, even murder, but eventually, her death was ruled as an accident and the file closed.”

The article recounts how the final moments before she breathed her last. “She was rushed to Cooper hospital, still breathing, holding tightly to the doctor’s shirt sleeve even as he assured her that she’d be fine. Then, just as they swept in through the hospital’s gates, she reportedly tugged on Dr Lulla’s sleeve one last time, before her grip slackened. She was declared dead on arrival,” it added.

"On 5th April 1993, she fell down from 5th story of Tulsi apartments, Versova (Mumbai). She signed a deal for a new apartment on the same day she died. She decided to meet her designer friend Neeta Lulla and her husband Dr. Shyam Lulla. At 10 p.m when all three of them were talking and drinking, suddenly Divya went to the kitchen and sat on a window which had no grills and fell down accidently on a concrete floor. After falling she was all in blood but still breathing. She was taken to the Cooper Hospital Mumbai in an emergency where she died." 

She returned from Chennai shooting a film and was to leave for Hyderabad for the second shoot, but she postponed the shoot for a new apartment deal. It is said that Divya had a leg injury on that day, about which she also told her director. 

Since Divya had embraced Islam and become Muslim and was still riding high in fame leaving behind many top actresses like Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. It may have disturbed certain quarters of the Hindu outfit, particularly Shiv Sena.

Divya had died after falling from the fifth floor from her apartment, Tulsi-II, in Mumbai, on April 5, 1993. The reason for her fall from the towering building couldn’t be established till date and the police closed the case in 1998, stating the actress died of unnatural causes.

There are a few social media users who also suspect the hand of Bal Thackery in the death of Divya Bharti because she had become Muslim. Such surmises and statements turn worth considering when the Divya’s death case history is tracked. The Police couldn’t find anything or perhaps was told to bury the case, is also a mystery.

When Divya died, three people were present with her at that time – her designer Neeta Lulla, Shyam Lulla and her maid Amrita. Shockingly, Amrita lost her life within 30 days of Divya’s death due to cardiac arrest, hence she couldn’t be questioned.

Amrita could have been an important eye-witness, who may have provided some inside information of the fateful night, but she died –or as some people say, she was silenced.

These developments raise doubts in the manner Divya died. Ironically, the death of Divya Bharti was largely portrayed as ‘suicide’ in the press, and people in general still consider it as a suicide. This was the impression created by certain quarters that the popular actress wilfully ended her life. But the series of events days before her death raise a lot of questions. The failure of police to reach conclusion and death of Divya’s maid who also died mysteriously are some of the major reasons that cast doubts on Shiv Sena.

If we study the whole case, the background, the fuelling Hindu-Muslim tensions, the clout of Shiv Sena, the Mumbai blasts, the popularity of Divya Bharti and her secret conversion to Islam – this won't be unwise to see Shiv Sena with a suspicious eye. However, since the radical outfit has sizable influence in Mumbai and all over India, no police or government can go after it.

Divya’s parents may definitely have some inside information about what caused their daughter’s tragic death, but they couldn’t divulge it for obvious reasons of security and threats. It is sad to Divya’s mother passed away in 2018 due to some illness. Going by several interviews given by Divya’s father, It seems that he has managed to overcome the shock, but his rage is palpable and it exists somewhere deep down.

What’s more, her family  'believed' it was an accident.

Speaking to India Today, Divya’s father Om Prakash Bharti had said, “There was no question of suicide or murder. Yes, she did drink a bit but how much can you drink in half an hour? And she was not depressed. She was the kind to give you depression!”

“It was an accident. She sat on the ledge, lost her balance and fell. Sadly, all flats had grills except hers. Cars would always be parked below but that night there was not a single one. She fell directly on the ground. I was shocked and lost my senses. But eventually, you have to face the truth.”

People believe that Divya's death is not an accident or suicide but a well-planned conspiracy, but till date, her death remains only an unsolved riddle.

Bollywood lost a shining star, but she is still adored by fans despite her passing after 27 years.

Divya is best remembered for like sprightly personality, her beauty, her acting versatility and vivacity. Tune in to any retro music channels of today and chances are you will still hear ‘Saat Samundar’ from Vishwatma playing.

This young and talented actress is truly missed! 

Filmography
Year Title Role Language Notes
1990 Bobbili Raja Heroine Telugu
1990 Nila Penne Tamil
1991 Naa Ille Naa Swargam Telugu
1992 Rowdy Alludu Telugu
1992 Dharma Kshetram Balakrishna Telugu
1992 Assembly Rowdy Pooja Telugu
1992 Vishwatma Kusum Hindi
1992 Shola Aur Shabnam Divya Thapa Hindi Lux Face of the Year
1992 Dil Ka Kya Kasoor Seema/Shalini Saxena Hindi
1992 Jaan Se Pyaara Sharmila Hindi
1992 Deewana Kaajal Hindi Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut
1992 Balwaan Priya Hindi
1992 Dushman Zamana Hindi
1992 Dil Aashna Hai Laila/Sitara Hindi
1992 Geet Neha Hindi
1992 Chittamma Mogudu Chittemma Telugu
1993 Tholi Muddhu Telugu
1992 Dil Hi To Hai Bharati Hindi
1993 Andha Insaaf Hindi
1993 Kshatriya Tanvi Singh Hindi
1993 Rang Kajal Hindi
1993 Aadmi Sharmila P. Singh Hindi
1993 Shatranj Renu Hindi

Incomplete films
Year of release Title Co-Star Replacement
1993 Tholi Muddhu Prashanth Rambha
1993 Dhanwan Ajay Devgan Karisma Kapoor
1993 Do Kadam Salman Khan Red X
1993 Bajrangi Sunny Deol Red X
1993 Chal Pe Chal Jackie Shroff Red X
1993 Parinaam Akshay Kumar Red X
1994 Laadla Anil Kapoor Sridevi
1994 Vijaypath Ajay Devgan Tabu
1994 Mohra Akshay Kumar Raveena Tandon
1995 Kartavya (1995 film) Sanjay Kapoor Juhi Chawla
1995 Angrakshak Sunny Deol Pooja Bhatt
1995 Hulchul Ajay Devgan Kajol
1995 Kanyadaan Rishi Kapoor Manisha Koirala
1995 Andolan Ajay Sharma Mamta Kulkarni
The list of incomplete films is copyright from Filmfare and Cineblitz magazines of May 1993.

Red X = Indicates that the movie wasn't made.