This actress was once a Miss World and called the next big thing in Bollywood but her career fell away after she lost films and top actors refused to work with her
The 90s and early 2000s were a prolific period for Indian beauty queens in terms of international success. Many like Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, and Priyanka Chopra went on to have successful film careers as well. But a few faded away after just a handful of appearances. One of them was Yukta Mookhey, the 1999 Miss World. So when the actress was recently spotted at the 2024 Miss World red carpet, many were pleasantly surprised at how different the once beauty queen looked.
Yukta Mookhey’s rise to fame in the 90s
In 1999, after completing her college, Yukta enrolled herself in the Miss India contest and emerged as the runner-up, winning a chance to represent India at the 1999 Miss World. At the global pageant in London, Yukta beat 92 other beauty queens from around the world to become the fourth Indian woman to win the title (there have been two more since). Following her tenure as Miss World, Yukta made her film debut in 2001 with Poovellam Un Vasam before playing the lead role in the Bollywood film Pyaasa (2002). However, all her films flopped at the box office. In 2003, she signed Kab Kyon Kahan and Hum Teeno, but both films where later shelved. The actress also dropped out of films like Market and Insaaf for different reasons. It was reported that her height of almost 6 feet played against her as many leading heroes did not want to be cast opposite a heroine taller than them. Due to this reason, the actress missed out on several big films. By 2007, Yukta was working in the Bhojpuri industry. The 2010 Odia film Swayamsiddha was her last release.
Yukta Mookhey’s turbulent personal life
In 2008, when her film career was winding down, Yukta tied the knot with Prince Tuli, a New York-based businessman. The couple welcomed their son a couple of years later. However, the marriage soured soon. In 2013, Yukta accused her husband and in-laws of domestic abuse and harassment, filing a case for Section 498A (cruelty and harassment) and Section 377 (unnatural sex) of the Indian Penal Code. Their divorce was settled with mutual consent the following year. After her film career, Yukta began working as a social activist and motivational speaker.
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 "Yukta Mookhey now and then")
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