In the 70s and 80s, actresses usually entered films while still in their teens, a far cry from today when most young actors only get their breakthrough in the early 20s. This allowed many early bloomers to become stars while they were still teenagers. This is the story of one such star, who was a top heroine in her 20s, before her life crumbled around her as she lost her husband at 25, remarried a man 20 years older, and then quit films.
The actress who was a star at 17, a widow at 25
Leena Chandravarkar was born in 1950 in Karnataka. Handpicked to make her film debut opposite Sunil Dutt in Maseeha in 1967, Leena was earmarked to be a star. Maseeha was shelved, however. And Leena made her debut with Man Ka Meet the following year. The film was a runaway hit and Leena became an overnight star, all of 17. Over the next few years, she starred in big hits like Humjoli, Mehboob Ki Mehndi, Manchali, and Bidaai, establishing herself as one of the top actresses in Bollywood.
In 1975, Leena had an arranged marriage with Siddharth Bandodkar, who came from a prominent political family in Goa. However, just days after their wedding, Siddharth died of an accidental gunshot wound, leaving Leena widowed at 25. The actress continued to act after a break but did not get the same success as earlier.
Leena Chandravarkar with Kishore Kumar
Leena Chandravarkar’s second marriage and sabbatical
In 1980, Leena had her second marriage to singer superstar Kishore Kumar. At the time of their wedding, Leena was 30 and Kishore was over 50. The actress quit films after her wedding to focus on her personal life. Leena and Kishore have one son – singer Sumit Kumar. After Kishore’s death in 1987, Leena briefly returned to films, appearing in one release – Mamta Ki Chhao Mein. This was her final film appearance. Since then, the former actress has lived in Mumbai, away from the limelight.
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