Divya Bharti was a rising star on the Bollywood horizon who left us on 5th April 1993. She was only 19 years old when she fell to her death from her apartment window.
Early years
Divya was born to Mr. Om Prakash and Meeta Bharti in Mumbai on 25th February 1974.
It is said that Divya Bharti was zero in academics but swam like a fish. Thoroughly uninterested in studies, she left school after the 8th grade to pursue acting.
But another view says it was her mother who was living her dream of reigning Bollywood through her daughter. But either way, she was totally disinterested in studies and aspired to be a homemaker.
The career
Although she wanted to enter Hindi films, she got her first break in Telugu cinema. She soon became an icon there.
Slowly, she carved a path into Bollywood. And in two years, she was a well-known Bollywood actress. By the time, she left the world she was one of the highest paid actresses of her time.
The fateful night
On that night, Divya was celebrating moving into a new flat with whisky and friends. Fashion designer Neeta Lulla with her husband Shyam Lulla was there to discuss dress designs for the upcoming movie Andolan. The Lulla couple was watching TV and Divya was enjoying her whisky with fritters.
After a few drinks, she went to sit on the ledge of the window of her 5th-floor flat. Her flat window did not have a grill. She turned around to talk with her guests and lost her balance.
She abruptly fell to her death with a loud thud after a few seconds. She was rushed to the reputed Cooper Hospital. She died that night due to severe head injuries and internal bleeding.
The Aftermath
Her death happened within a few weeks after the infamous Bombay bomb blast.
Tongues wagged.
Some said it was the mafia who silenced her.
Some said she was an alcoholic who committed suicide.
Some ruled it out as a very unfortunate accident.
But if looked closely, she was suffering from common teenage problems which became complicated. These complications pushed her into acute depression.
Here are the red flags which were always ignored:
At 18, all girls have boyfriend problems. She too was having a hard time after marrying Sajid Nadiadwala at 18.
- She asked for poison from her co-stars.
- She carelessly jumped across a dangerous ravine during a shoot, giving chills to the crew.
- She often confided with her co-stars that she is unhappy and wants to die.
- She was always fighting with her parents, especially her mom.
All the above signs clearly say she was suffering from acute depression and a lack of communication
Could she have had a different story? Maybe yes if
- Media can stop sensationalising celebrity deaths.
- Right from Divya Bharti to SSR (Sushant Singh Rajput), the media was busy linking their stories with random incidents. But it refused to delve into the subject of mental health.
- We need to understand that if someone is constantly asking for poison or wishing for death, it could be a horrendous sign of anxiety or depression.
- Parents should stop living their dreams via their kids.
- The stigma around mental health must be removed.
About the Author
Miss Jyoti Dhiman is a seasoned content writer, copywriter, editor, and LinkedIn strategist. She is keen to work in the arena of sustainable cosmetics, eco-ethical tourism, and guilt-free fashion. She is passionate about mental health awareness and loves to blog about it.