Here's everything you need to know about actress Barkha Madan, who quit Bollywood to become a Buddhist monk.
Barkha Madan competed with Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen in the 1994 Miss India pageant. She made her Bollywood debut in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi with Akshay Kumar, and quit acting in 2012 to become a Buddhist monk named Gyalten Samten. Here's everything you need to know about her journey from showbiz to spirituality.
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, in which Sushmita Sen was crowned the winner and Aishwarya Rai was named the first runner-up. Sushmita and Aishwarya went on to win Miss Universe and Miss World, respectively. Barkha was named Miss Tourism India and ended up as the third runner-up in Miss Tourism International in Malaysia.
2. Barkha Madan's Bollywood debut in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi
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In 1996, Barkha made her Bollywood debut in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, which starred Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, and Rekha in the leading roles. The action film became a blockbuster and the audiences and critics even praised Barkha for her sincere performance. But, the actress remained selective and it took her seven more years to earn her next notable role in Bhoot.
3. Barkha Madan as the ghost Manjeet Khosla in Bhoot
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Barkha terrifiied everyone when she played the ghost Manjeet Khosla in the 2003 supernatural horror film Bhoot. She was recognised for her brilliant act in the Ram Gopal Varma directorial, which featured an ensemble cast of Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan, and Tanuja. Bhoot was a surprise hit at the box-office.
4. Barkha Madan as Rani Lakshmi Bai
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From 2002 to 2003, Barkha Madan played the Indian freedom fighter Rani Lakshmi Bai in the historical drama TV series 1857 Kranti. Directed by Sanjay Khan, the show aired for 104 episodes on DD National. She was seen in multiple famous TV shows such as Ghar Ek Sapnaa, Suraag – The Clue, and Saat Phere – Saloni Ka Safar among others.
5. Barkha Madan is now Gyalten Samten
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Barkha even bankrolled a couple of films namely Surkhaab and Soch Lo under her production and distribution company called Golden Gate LLC. When these movies didn't grab much attention, she quit showbiz and decided to embrace Buddhism in 2012. She became a monk and changed her name to Gyalten Samten.
6. Barkha Madan with 14th Dalai Lama
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Barkha Madan is an avid follower of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, throughout her life and has even shared a couple of photos with the spiritual leader on her Instagram. Today, the actress lives in the monasteries in the Himalayan mountains and keeps sharing photos from her spiritual life on her social media.
