Early films starring Shah Rukh Khan included Deewana (1992) and Dil Aashna Hai (1992), both of which starred Divya Bharti. In Deewana, she made her cinematic debut alongside him. It will be 30 years since his passing on April 5, 2023. The young actor, who was married to the producer Sajid Nadiadwala, passed suddenly after falling from his Mumbai building’s fifth-floor balcony. Only 19 years old, she was. Shah Rukh remembered how he learned about her passing in Delhi. He also referred to him as a “beautiful” performer and claimed that his method was distinct from his more sober method. The audience enjoyed their pairing.
Divya Bharti and Shah Rukh Khan in a shot from the movie Deewana (1992).
1990 saw Divya make her acting debut in the Tamil film Neela Penne. Before landing his big break in 1992 with Vishwatma and Saat Samundar Geet, he appeared in a number of South films. The actor had a historic year because 12 of his movies were released. During the 1993 Filmfare Awards, she also took home the Lux New Face of the Year honor for the film Deewana. The actor’s bright career was ended prematurely by his passing.
In a previous interview with NDTV, the actress had stated, “Divya Bharti, in my opinion, was a fantastic actor. She was the complete antithesis of what I imagined an actor to be. She was this absolutely odd, vivacious girl, and I was a serious guy. At the Sea Rock Hotel, I recently finished dubbing, I think. I substituted “insane” I said hello to him as soon as I exited Sea Rock. You’re not just an actor, you’re an institution, he remarked as he stared at me. It greatly impressed me. Whoa, I said. As soon as I realized I didn’t understand it, I instantly went to read the proverb’s definition. I understood how much it meant.
Shah Rukh recalled how he found out about her sudden demise and stated, “I pray for his soul. They were playing my song Aisi Deewangi when I was asleep in Delhi. I believed that I had achieved stardom. No, I didn’t. I have no idea how to become a major star. The movie was a big success. I woke up the next morning to find that she had passed away after these songs started playing out of the blue. She had dropped out of the window. One of his biggest shocks was that I felt compelled to work with him again for another movie.
1993’s Kshatriya was Divya’s last movie. After his passing, Rang, Tholi Mudhu, and Shatranj were all freed.