Jasmin Dhunna was an overnight star in the 80s but an alleged obsession from Dawood Ibrahim derailed her life and career
Veerana, the 1988 horror flick from Ramsay Brothers, is often considered a milestone in the horror genre in Hindi cinema. The film, made on a shoestring budget without any stars, was a runaway hit. It transformed its lead actress Jasmin Dhunna, into an overnight star. However, Jasmin’s fame was short-lived as she ‘vanished’ soon after the film’s release. 36 years on, nobody still knows where she is
1. Who is Jasmin Dhunna?
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Little is known about Jasmin’s early life. She entered the entertainment industry in the late-70s when she was still a teenager. She made her debut opposite Vinod Khanna in the 1979 film Sarkari Mehmaan. Over the next eight years, she worked in only one more film – Divorce, which released in 1984
2. Jasmin Dhunna’s breakthrough with Veerana
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In 1988, Jasmin starred in Ramsay Brothers’ horror film Veerana, where she played the lead role. The film earned Rs 3 crore at the box office, the highest for any horror flick in India at the time
3. Jasmin Dhunna, the scream queen
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While Veerana starred several mainstream actors like Satish Shah, Gulshan Grover, Vijayendra Ghatge, Vijay Arora, and Rajendra Nath, it was Jasmin who became an overnight star, largely because of her bold and sensuous scenes
4. The career that never was
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However, critics did not take kindly to Jasmin or to Veerana. The film was successful but it was still panned and Jasmin was criticised as monotonous in both the horror scenes and the bold ones
5. When Jasmin was harassed by Dawood
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Veerana’s success also earned Jasmin some unwanted attention. As per unverified reports, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim became obsessed with Jasmin and began harassing her to become romantically involved with him. Reports said that Jasmin was often stalked by Dawood’s men
6. Where is Jasmin Dhunna now?
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Months after Veerana’s release, Jasmin went underground, reportedly to evade Dawood’s advances. There is no record of what she did after 1988 and where she is now. Some reports in the 90s claimed that she married and settled in the US
