Here's everything you need to know about the actress Barkha Madan, who left the glamour world for her spiritual journey.
Barkha Madan was a model and actress before she left the Hindi entertainment industry to become a Buddhist monk and is now known as Gyalten Samten. Here's a look at her journey.
1. Barkha Madan competed with Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen
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Barkha Madan participated in the beauty pageant Miss India in 1994 when Sushmita Sen was crowned the winner and Aishwarya Rai won the first runner-up. Barkha was named Miss Tourism India and ended up coming as the third runner-up in Miss Tourism International in Malaysia.
2. Barkha Madan Bollywood debut
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In 1996, Barkha made her Bollywood debut in the action film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, which starred Akshay Kumar, Rekha, and Raveena Tandon in the leading roles. Madan also received praise from the industry folks for her sincere performance in the fourth installment of the Khiladi series.
3. Barkha Madan in Bhoot
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Barkha remained selective in her career and terrified the critics and audiences when she played the ghost Manjeet Khosla in Ram Gopal Varma's supernatural horror film Bhoot. The 2003 film had an ensemble of Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan, and Tanuja.
4. Barkha Madan is now Gyalten Samten
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Barkha, who also produced a couple of films such as Soch Lo and Surkhaab, is an avid follower of Dalai Lama and decided to embrace Buddhism in 2012. She became a monk and changed her name to Ven. Gyalten Samten, and regularly shares photos from her spiritual life on her Instagram.
5. Barkha Madan with Shilpa Shukla
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In this photo, Barkha is seen with Shilpa Shukla, who won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for the neo-noir erotic thriller BA Pass in 2012. Shukla is most famously known for playing Bindia Naik in the 2007 Shah Rukh Khan-starrer sports drama Chak De! India.
