Divya Bharti, Indian actress (b. 1974)
Divya Bharti (pronounced [dɪʋjaː bʱaːrtiː]) (25 February 1974 – 5 April 1993) was an Indian actress who worked predominantly in Hindi and Telugu films. Known for her acting versatility and beauty, she was considered one of the most popular and highest paid Indian actresses of her time.Bharti started her film career as a teenager, while she was doing pin-up modeling assignments. She made her debut with a lead role opposite Venkatesh in the Telugu-language romantic action Bobbili Raja (1990), and subsequently appeared in a financially unsuccessful Tamil-language film Nila Pennae (1990). In films like Naa Ille Naa Swargam (1991) and Assembly Rowdy (1991) she had minor roles. Bharti had her first commercial success with the romantic comedy Rowdy Alludu (1991).
After featuring in Telugu films, she progressed to Hindi cinema in 1992 and made her acting debut with the Hindi action thriller Vishwatma (1992). The 1992 action-comedy Shola Aur Shabnam, a box office hit, marked a turning point in her career. She achieved further success with starring roles such as in the romance film Deewana (1992), which achieved her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
Bharti died in April 1993, aged 19, after falling from the balcony of her apartment in Mumbai. The mysterious circumstances of her death have spawned a number of conspiracy theories.