Jiwan Yatra - (Unfolding the Frozen Reminiscences)

The 90s begin like any other decade, promising to bring lots of surprises. One of them was Divya Bharti. Who can forget that beautiful girl singing "Saat Samundar" when she made her debut in Bollywood world? The song was from her debut Hindi movie, Vishwatma.The movie didn't do well in the box office but Divya got noticed for her talents. At that time, everyone predicted a bright future for this nearly 17 year old actress and they were nearly right but nobody could have imagined how her career would come to a sudden end. Divya was born Divya Om Prakash Bharti on February 25th, 1974 to Meeta and Om Parkash Bharti in Mumbai. According to tabloids reports, Divya had a traumatic childhood. Om Parkash left his parents house, his wife, and children to marry Meeta, Divya's mother. But Om Parkash's first wife didnt leave Divya and her family alone. She would curse and rave them and maybe that is the reason, Divya's parents were constantly fighting and were so busy with themselves that they had no time for Divya. Her father was an alcoholic while her mother used to be too busy with her kitty parties.

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Divya felt unloved and unwanted and maybe because of that matured beyond her age. When she was 10, she decided to become economically independent and walk out of her parents' house. She hated school and her only other alternative was films. Her father, unsuccessful stage artist himself, pushed Divya to fulfill his dream and make her out to be the golden goose. In a March 92 issue of Stardust, Divya firmly denied the allegations and said with "teary eyes" that she is not ashamed of anything in her life especially her past but she wish she could avoid talking about it because "it is too personal and private". Divya first got her chance when in 9th grade, director Kriti Kumar met her around 1988 in a Mumbai Video Library and approached her to play the lead role opposite Govinda in "Radha Ka Sangam" but was later dropped. But later on, the famed Telugu film director, Mr. D. Rama Naidu, approached for his movie "Bobbili Raja" which went to become a super hit and broke all previous records in the Telugu film industry.

People started to compare her with the biggest star of the time, Sridevi. Soon after more hits followed with Assembly Rowdy, Dharma Kshetrain, Rowdy Alludu which all went to become hits in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. The popularity of Divya in the South made Bollywood finally notice her and Rajiv Rai signed her for Vishwatma. Even though the movie was a flop, nobody can forget the song "Saat Samandar". Her talents were noticed by everyone and soon after Dewaana with newcomer Shahrukh Khah, and Shola Aur Shabnam with Govinda followed and went on to become super hits and has signed 14 other movies. By then Divya also became a tabloid's darling and was not only famous for her talents but also for her mood swings and childish behavior well forgetting that she was only 18. Her outspoken personality gotten taloids with reports about how she had problems with from Aamir Khan, Hema Malini, J.P Dutta, to Farah Khan. How she misbehaved on the sets and was never on time and how she had drinking problems also graced the tabloids pages. In one of her last interviews she explained her drinking problem by saying she only drinks on some occasion and has no problem whatsoever with it. Not only was her professional life was on a rise, but so was her personal life.

In May of 1992, she secretly got married to film director Sajid Nadiadwala. The marriage was kept a secret to protect her ever rising career. But that did not stop the tabloids from linking her with every co-star she worked with and calling her a "man-eater" which to she answered that if she was indeed a man eater, where are all the bones? She openly accepted the fact that she did indeed have a relationship with Sajid but denied the marriage allegations. In one of her last interview for Stardust in March of 1993, she said there will be a big announcement the following January relating to Sajid and her relationship. The announcement will never come. Vishwatma, Dewaana and SAS were not her only movies in 92, 7 other movies: Geet, Dil Ka Kya Kasoor, Dil Hi To Hai, Dil Aashna Hai, Dushman Zamaana, Jaan Se Pyara and Balwan also followed making her the youngest successful star in Bollywood and earning her the Outstanding Face Of The Year at the end of 92. More hits followed her in 93 with Kshatriya and Andha Insaaf. Everyone was convinced she was going to be the biggest star in Bollywood but nobody had any idea what the fate will bring. On April 7th, 1993, a 19 year old girl, dressed up in a bridal suit was surrounded by hundreds of people in a Mumbai suburb. But instead of being taken to her future home, she was taken to a cemetery to get buried. The girl was the ever successful, Divya Bharti.

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Her tragic end came on April 5th, 1993, when around midnight, she fell from her husband's 5th floor building ending her ever growing successful career and most importantly her life. The circumstances behind her death were considered suspicious by the media with some saying she was pushed to her death, some saying she committed suicide and some saying she was heavily drunk and slipped. However, despite an investigation, police found nothing. To this day her death remains a mystery. Her body was only released on the day of her funeral to taken to her father's house who after hearing of his daughter sudden death, suffered from a mild heart attack and only released from the hospital on the day of her funeral. Her husband, Sajid also fainted and was taken to the hospital and was only released on the day of her funeral and after lightening the pyre, was overwhelmed by emotion and once again collasped. Around 500 people included her funeral with the likes of Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri, Raj Babbar, Yash Chopra, Jimmy Nirula, Sudhakar Bokade, Mukesh Duggal, Raza Murad, Vikas Anand, Ram Mohan, Javed Khan, Raj Kanwar, Nitin Manmohan, Pehlaj Nehlani, Hema Malini, Karisma Kapoor, Sangeeta Bijlani, Sridevi, Manisha Koirala and Asha Parekh, offered condolences to the bereaved family members at their residence. They were not the only one, the Mumbai streets were filled with fans of the young actress coming from all over India trying to get one last glimpse of the beautiful actress. Despite being only 6, I remember her last photographs of her in a bridal suit in front page of a newspaper.

After her death, her final two movies, Rang and Shatranj were released and dedicated to her memory. Movies like Mohra and Ladla were left unfinished and she was later replaced by Raveena Tandon and Sridevi. After showing clips of Divya in Ladla and comparing to Sridevi, many people felt that she did a much better job. Unfortunatly it was not meant to be. If still alive today, she would have 32 and without any doubts one of the biggest name in Bollywood along with Madhuri, Sridevi, and Kajol. These days, not many people know her but those who still remember her, consider her to be one of the best actresses to ever set foot in Bollywood.

For More Information
Please Visit: Divya Bharti Portal

A Work of Art
by Anton Chekhov
(1860-1904)

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Sasha Smirnov, the only son of his mother, holding under his arm, something wrapped up in No. 223 of the Financial News, assumed a sentimental expression, and went into Dr. Koshelkov’s consultingroom.

“Ah, dear lad!” was how the doctor greeted him. “Well! how are we feeling? What good news have you for me?”

Sasha blinked, laid his hand on his heart and said in an agitated voice: “Mamma sends her greetings to you, Ivan Nikolaevitch, and told me to thank you.… I am the only son of my mother and you have saved my life…you have brought me through a dangerous illness and…we do not know how to thank you.”

“Nonsense, lad!” said the doctor, highly delighted. “I only did what anyone else would have done in my place.”

“I am the only son of my mother…we are poor people and cannot of course repay you, and.… we are quite ashamed, doctor, although, however, mamma and I…the only son of my mother, earnestly beg you to accept in token of our gratitude…this object, which…An object of great value, an antique bronze.… A rare work of art.”

“You shouldn’t!” said the doctor, frowning. “What’s this for!”

“No, please do not refuse,” Sasha went on muttering as he unpacked the parcel. “You will wound mamma and me by refusing.… It’s a fine thing…an antique bronze.… It was left us by my deceased father and we have kept it as a precious souvenir. My father used to buy antique bronzes and sell them to connoisseurs…Mamma and I keep on the business now.…”

Sasha undid the object and put it solemnly on the table. It was a not very tall candelabra of old bronze and artistic workmanship. It consisted of a group: on the pedestal stood two female figures in the costume of Eve and in attitudes for the description of which I have neither the courage nor the fitting temperament. The figures were smiling coquettishly and altogether looked as though, had it not been for the necessity of supporting the candlestick, they would have skipped off the pedestal and have indulged in an orgy such as is improper for the reader even to imagine.

Looking at the present, the doctor slowly scratched behind his ear, cleared his throat and blew his nose irresolutely.

“Yes, it certainly is a fine thing,” he muttered, “but…how shall I express it?…it’s…h’m…it’s not quite for family reading. It’s not simply decolleté but beyond anything, dash it all.…”

“How do you mean?”

“The serpent-tempter himself could not have invented anything worse.… Why, to put such a phantasmagoria on the table would be defiling the whole flat.”

“What a strange way of looking at art, doctor!” said Sasha, offended. “Why, it is an artistic thing, look at it! There is so much beauty and elegance that it fills one’s soul with a feeling of reverence and brings a lump into one’s throat! When one sees anything so beautiful one forgets everything earthly.… Only look, how much movement, what an atmosphere, what expression!”

“I understand all that very well, my dear boy,” the doctor interposed, “but you know I am a family man, my children run in here, ladies come in.”

“Of course if you look at it from the point of view of the crowd,” said Sasha, “then this exquisitely artistic work may appear in a certain light.… But, doctor, rise superior to the crowd, especially as you will wound mamma and me by refusing it. I am the only son of my mother, you have saved my life.… We are giving you the thing most precious to us and…and I only regret that I have not the pair to present to you.…”

“Thank you, my dear fellow, I am very grateful…Give my respects to your mother but really consider, my children run in here, ladies come.… However, let it remain! I see there’s no arguing with you.”

“And there is nothing to argue about,” said Sasha, relieved. “Put the candlestick here, by this vase. What a pity we have not the pair to it! It is a pity! Well, good-bye, doctor.”

After Sasha’s departure the doctor looked for a long time at the candelabra, scratched behind his ear and meditated.

“It’s a superb thing, there’s no denying it,” he thought, “and it would be a pity to throw it away.… But it’s impossible for me to keep it.… H’m!…Here’s a problem! To whom can I make a present of it, or to what charity can I give it?”

After long meditation he thought of his good friend, the lawyer Uhov, to whom he was indebted for the management of legal business.

“Excellent,” the doctor decided, “it would be awkward for him as a friend to take money from me, and it will be very suitable for me to present him with this. I will take him the devilish thing! Luckily he is a bachelor and easy-going.”

Without further procrastination the doctor put on his hat and coat, took the candelabra and went off to Uhov’s.

“How are you, friend!” he said, finding the lawyer at home. “I’ve come to see you…to thank you for your efforts.… You won’t take money so you must at least accept this thing here.… See, my dear fellow.… The thing is magnificent!”

On seeing the bronze the lawyer was moved to indescribable delight.

“What a specimen!” he chuckled. “Ah, deuce take it, to think of them imagining such a thing, the devils! Exquisite! Ravishing! Where did you get hold of such a delightful thing?”

After pouring out his ecstasies the lawyer looked timidly towards the door and said: “Only you must carry off your present, my boy.… I can’t take it.…”

“Why?” cried the doctor, disconcerted.

“Why…because my mother is here at times, my clients…besides I should be ashamed for my servants to see it.”

“Nonsense! Nonsense! Don’t you dare to refuse!” said the doctor, gesticulating. “It’s piggish of you! It’s a work of art!… What movement…what expression! I won’t even talk of it! You will offend me!”

“If one could plaster it over or stick on fig-leaves…”

But the doctor gesticulated more violently than before, and dashing out of the flat went home, glad that he had succeeded in getting the present off his hands.

When he had gone away the lawyer examined the candelabra, fingered it all over, and then, like the doctor, racked his brains over the question what to do with the present.

“It’s a fine thing,” he mused, “and it would be a pity to throw it away and improper to keep it. The very best thing would be to make a present of it to someone.… I know what! I’ll take it this evening to Shashkin, the comedian. The rascal is fond of such things, and by the way it is his benefit tonight.”

No sooner said than done. In the evening the candelabra, carefully wrapped up, was duly carried to Shashkin’s. The whole evening the comic actor’s dressing-room was besieged by men coming to admire the present; dressing-room was filled with the hum of enthusiasm and laughter like the neighing of horses. If one of the actresses approached the door and asked: “May I come in?” the comedian’s husky voice was heard at once: “No, no, my dear, I am not dressed!”

After the performance the comedian shrugged his shoulders, flung up his hands and said: “Well what am I to do with the horrid thing? Why, I live in a private flat! Actresses come and see me! It’s not a photograph that you can put in a drawer!”

“You had better sell it, sir,” the hairdresser who was disrobing the actor advised him. “There’s an old woman living about here who buys antique bronzes. Go and enquire for Madame Smirnov…everyone knows her.”

The actor followed his advice.… Two days later the doctor was sitting in his consulting-room, and with his finger to his brow was meditating on the acids of the bile. All at once the door opened and Sasha Smirnov flew into the room. He was smiling, beaming, and his whole figure was radiant with happiness. In his hands he held something wrapped up in newspaper.

“Doctor!” he began breathlessly, “imagine my delight! Happily for you we have succeeded in picking up the pair to your candelabra! Mamma is so happy.… I am the only son of my mother, you saved my life.…”

And Sasha, all of a tremor with gratitude, set the candelabra before the doctor. The doctor opened his mouth, tried to say something, but said nothing: he could not speak.

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Divya Bharati (1974-1993)- A Tribute !!!

A Work of Art