The story of the Bollywood star who became the industry's top heroine at 18, but died suddenly at 19
The days when actresses made their debut in films in their teens. Most actresses till the 90s began their careers as lead stars before they turned 18. But success and fame took time. Not for this one star though, who was already India’s highest-paid actress by the time she was 18. Sadly, she was dead within a year, leaving an unfulfilled legacy and a vacuum in Bollywood, which led to the emergence of several new faces.
The star who was India’s highest paid actress at 18
Divya Bharti was studying in class IX in a Mumbai school in 1988 when she was signed by Nandu Tolani. While her planned debut did not work out, Govinda’s brother Kirti Kumar spotted her and got her signed in a film. She was again replaced. Eventually, Divya made her debut in the Telugu film Bobbili Raja opposite Venkatesh in 1990. The film became a hit, and was followed by her Tamil debut Nila Pennae, again a hit. By the end of 1991, Divya was ranked only behind Vijayshanti at the box office in the south.
The following year, she made her Bollywood debut and within months, was already the number one heroine in the industry. In 1992, she saw hits like Vishwatma, Shola Aur Shabnam, Deewana, and Balwan. Two future stars – Shah Rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty – were paired opposite her in their first films. By early 1993, Divya’s success was it its zenith and she was reportedly charging over Rs 50 lakh per film.
Divya Bharti’s sudden death at 19
1993 began on a nice note for Divya with the success of Kshatriya, but this was her last release before her death. In April 1993, Divya died when she fell of the balcony of her 5th-floor apartment. While initally, there were reports of mystery or wrongdoing, her family denied all such reports. At the time of her death, Divya was married to filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala. The death was mourned by the entire industry with many senior stars calling it a huge loss. Most pundits said that Divya was poised to be the next superstar in Bollywood.
How Bollywood filled Divya Bharti’s void with new stars
At the time of her death, Divya was working in 14 films, which were in varying stages of completion. Two of these released in 1993 while the actress was replaced in 12 others, which had major portions unshot. These included Laadla (where Sridevi replaced her). But while Sridevi was an established star, many younger actors filled in the void left by her. Raveena Tandon replaced her in Mohra, Dilwale, Kajol in Hulchul, Tabu in Vijaypath, Juhi Chawla in Kartavya, and Karisma Kapoor in Dhanwan. Most of these films were successes and led to other projects and greater visibility for these actress, leading to long successful careers for most of them.
Divya Bharti’s legacy
Divya’s last release was Shatranj, which hit the screens in December 1993, and also starred Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff, and Juhi Chawla. She acted in 21 films in three languages, over half of which were hits. Her co-stars like Shah Rukh, Suniel Shetty, and Chunky Panday called her the best they had worked with, while actresses like Shilpa Shetty, and Karisma Kapoor called her an inspiration. Divya continues to be an icon of Indian cinema even three decades after her death, with younger generation stars like Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan calling her an inspiration.
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 "Divya Bharti with Shah Rukh Khan in Deewana")
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