Meet 80s' top Indian actress, who created buzz after kissing Prince Charles publicly, ran away with producer, then...

They say ‘our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall,’ and we believe in that. It's always inspiring to hear stories of people bouncing back after facing setbacks and Bollywood stars have their fair share of such stories that motivate us.

Today, we will talk about a Bollywood star who was one of the top actresses during the 80s. Her life has been far from easy, yet she has inspired us in numerous ways. We are talking about Padmini Kolhapure who started working in films as a child artist.

Padmini Kolhapure captured the hearts of audiences with her stellar performances in blockbusters, despite coming from a conservative Maharashtrian family. She rose to fame with her talent and charisma.

Against her family's wishes, she married producer Pradeep Sharma, also known as Tutu Sharma. Her journey from a middle-class upbringing to Bollywood stardom, is no less than an inspiration.

When she created buzz for kissing Prince Charles

In 1980, during Prince Charles's visit to India, Padmini Kolhapure greeted him and made headlines by kissing him on the cheeks during a welcoming ceremony. The unexpected gesture sparked media buzz and became the talk of the town, making headlines in leading newspapers.

In an interview with The Times of India, Padmini opened up about the kiss moment with Prince Charles and recalled an  incident when, during a visit to London, an immigration officer recognised her and asked, "Are you the same girl who kissed Prince Charles?"

Fell in love with the producer

In 1986, while filming for Pradeep Sharma's movie Aisa Pyaar Kahan, Padmini Kolhapure met the producer. She starred alongside veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty in the lead role. However, her family opposed her love marriage. Padmini shared in an interview with Filmfare that her parents were against the idea of her even opening her hair, let alone considering a love marriage.

With her parents unsupportive of her relationship with Pradeep Sharma, Padmini Kolhapure had to make the difficult decision to run away and be with him. Fortunately, her elder sister Shivangi Kapoor and brother-in-law Shakti Kapoor were supportive of their union. Shakti Kapoor even assisted Padmini in getting married to Pradeep Sharma.