Very much like Hollywood movie star Marilyn Monroe, growing big name Divya Bharti’s dying had all of the components of a dark crime mystery. Substance abuse or suicidal depression? Murder or just alcohol-prompted twist of fate? Extremely tragic as each deaths have been, they invited wild speculations, best to grow hazy with time. And while Marilyn was 36 at the time of her demise, Divya was simply 19.At 15, Divya had given up school books to pay attention to narrations. At sixteen, the first rate-hit Bobbili Raja made her a superstar of Telugu cinema. At 18, in 1992, as the Saat samundar girl in Vishwatma and the cancer-bothered protagonist in Dil Ka Kya Kasoor, each flops, she had audiences warming to her innocent vibe. Pehlaj Nihalani’s hit Shola Aur Shabnam within the equal yr followed with the aid of Raj Kanwar’s Deewana (who can overlook her exuberance in Aisi deewangi or her torment as a widow) and Hema Malini’s Dil Aashna Hai made her bag the Filmfare Best Face of the Year Award. A dozen films made her the very best paid actress… After which she fell to her demise on April 5, 1993.It’s with high-quality trepidation that I call up Divya’s dad and mom, Om Prakash and Mita Bharti, fearing that I’d be treading on a painful premise. The meeting leaves me both greatly surprised and amazed. Shocked that the once sturdy Mita Bharti is nowadays a shadow of her former self (she’s misplaced 25 kilos). And amazed at the palpable warmth and admire the Bhartis have for Divya’s producer-husband Sajid Nadiadwala and his 2d wife Wardha, contrary to the cloud that hung over him after Divya’s demise. The suburban rental is freed from flamboyant frames eulogising Divya. “I don’t consider in natak (drama),” is Om’s stoic reaction. Mother Mita is but extra fluid in her emotions. “People worship the growing sun however you’ve cared to bear in mind an extinguished lamp,” she says. “Even after 20 years, people question me, ‘What exactly passed off that night? Was it an coincidence or murder? For them it’s interest but it offers me pain. It takes me again two decades and I sink into a despair another time. I inform them, ‘I understand as lots as you do. The rest best Divya and God know’, ” she says wet-eyed.DIVYA – THE DOLL
Divya changed into a loving child says Mita. “Whenever I bought her a new get dressed or toy, she’d insist that I get them for her cousins, my brother’s girls. She’d cope with her younger brother Kunal (Bharti) as bhaiyya,” she says. “She changed into a lovable infant. One day, I made Divya take a seat inside the the front seat of my automobile, while I was putting matters within the dickey. On recognizing her, a person requested, ‘Where did you get this doll?’ I stated she’s no longer a doll. He even opened the auto door to test.” Mita keeps, “She wasn’t fond of reading. Out of 10 subjects, she’d fail in nine. Once she instructed me, ‘Please read out my lessons’. I started analyzing handiest to find that she turned into status in the front of the reflect and mimicking Sridevi’s Ta thaiya ta thaiya ho (Himmatwala)!”MISS AND HIT
“When she was within the 9th standard she turned into approached via Kirti Kumar (Govinda’s producer brother) for Radha Ka Sangam. She stopped going to highschool as she needed to learn dance, performing and classical singing.” Divya was amusing-loving and enjoyed going for long drives and striking round with friends. This disappointed Kirti who wanted to hold his heroine below wraps says Mita. “They had a tiff and abruptly we got to recognize that the mahurat of Radha Ka Sangam become executed with Juhi Chawla.” But soon Boney Kapoor was scouting for a new face for Prem and showed hobby in Divya. However, she become changed with the aid of Tabu. The 1/3 time round it changed into Subhash Ghai who wanted her for Saudagar but the role went to Manisha Koirala. The hat-trick of rejections dissatisfied young Divya and Mita took her for a holiday to Kashmir. But the mom-daughter needed to cut quick their vacation as famous South manufacturer D Rama Naidu had come down for a narration. “Divya, who became by now quite disinterested, kept slumbering via the story consultation. Rama Naidu asked us if we could leave with him for Hyderabad that nighttime. Divya agreed just for a lark,” remembers Mita. The movie changed into the excellent hit Bobbili Raja (1990).Back home Rajiv Rai desired to signal Divya for Vishwatma. “As signing quantity Divya simply wanted a ‘Rs 500 Gandhiji note’. He was taken up along with her innocence.” The movie gave her the chartbuster Saat samundar. “Even after tasting achievement, there has been no trade in her. She became in no way attracted to glamour. After shoots, she’d put on tights and a T blouse. While Ayesha Jhulka and Pooja Bhatt had joined the enterprise along with her, she reached the top league of Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. Though she resembled Sridevi, she in no way copied her.”CHILD-LIKE STAR
The pinnacle billed megastar was bindaas. “Once that they had a celebration for her at China Garden. After the birthday celebration she stood on the bonnet and commenced dancing. Sajid requested her to step down wondering what people would say. But Govinda said, ‘This is what enjoying life manner’. Mita adds, “She’d speak in her inimitable style, ‘Chalna yaar, jane de na yaar… hansti rehti thi (she changed into pleasant to all and laughed lots)’.” There were several memories approximately her pranks at the sets. “One day she scratched Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of Dil Aashna Hai. His secretary referred to as up to mention that Shah Rukh wouldn’t work along with her. But later Shah Rukh said, ‘I stated this just to scare her. She’s a bachhi (toddler)’.” Mita concurs that Divya hurt without problems too. “Once she was refusing to put on a get dressed for a Telugu movie. Soon once I turned into looking a film in which Sridevi became carrying a particular outfit. I remarked, ‘I desire Sridevi was my daughter. She in no way says no to what her mom asks her to do’. That disturbed Divya and she or he confided in her secretary Jatin about this incident.”