India's youngest superstar began ruling the box office at the age of 16 but only did 20 films in her life
Cinema is a field that does not guarantee success quickly. Many enter the film industry in their 20s but it is not until they are touching 40 that they taste ‘stardom’ for the first time. The biggest examples of this are the likes of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Boman Irani. At the other end of the spectrum are overnight superstars, who gain this stardom very early both in life and career. This is the story of India’s youngest superstar, who ruled the screen at the age of 16.
India’s youngest superstar is...
Divya Bharti was a prodigy of sorts. The actress was spotted at age 14 by filmmaker Nandu Tolani and was signed for his film Gunahon Ka Devta. That did not work out, nor did another potential launch pad. But in 1990, she eventually made her much awaited debut in Nila Pennae, a superhit. The same year, she followed it up with Bobbili Raja, another huge hit. All of 16, Divya was already a superstar, with filmmakers lining up to sign her. By the end of the following year, she was rated as the second biggest heroine in south, only behind Vijayshanti. No other Indian star has attained stardom this early.
When Divya Bharti became the highest paid star
In 1992, Divya Bharti made her Bollywood debut with Vishwatma and also had 11 other releases in the year. By the end of the year, she was already charging the highest fees among all actresses in the Hindi film industry, having given hits like Deewana, Shola Aur Shabnam, and Balwaan. But this was her final full year in the film industry. She would only have four more releases, with the last of them in December 1993.
Divya Bharti with Shah Rukh Khan in Deewana
Divya Bharti’s sudden death and the controversy around it
In April 1993, Divya died after she fell off the balcony of her 5th-floor apartment. Initally, there were reports of mystery or wrongdoing with many rumours alleging murder. However, the actress’ 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.
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