Before Mamta Kulkarni, this actress who debuted with Akshay Kumar, competed with Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, quit Bollywood to become monk

The actress we are referring to made her debut alongside Akshay Kumar and competed with stars like Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen.

The ’90s queen, Mamta Kulkarni, is making headlines on the internet after she decided to quit Bollywood forever and become a Sadhvi. It’s rare for individuals to leave the glamorous world of glitz and glamour to walk the path of spirituality. However, Mamta is not the first one to make such a decision. Years earlier, there was another actress who took a similar step—leaving everything behind to follow the teachings of Buddhism. Today, she lives a simple, monastic life.

The actress we are referring to made her debut alongside Akshay Kumar and competed with stars like Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen. However, there came a turning point when she chose to leave everything behind and embrace a monastic life.

If these clues don’t ring a bell, let us tell you we are talking about none other than the famous former actress, Barkha Madan. Did you know that Barkha participated in the Miss India beauty pageant, which featured Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai? While Sushmita was crowned the winner and Aishwarya was named the first runner-up, Barkha won the title of Miss Tourism India.

After her victory as Miss Tourism India, Barkha’s path to Bollywood was wide open. She made her debut alongside Akshay Kumar in the film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, where she played the character Jane and shared most of her scenes with Rekha and Akshay.

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In 2003, Ram Gopal Varma cast Barkha in Bhoot, where she portrayed the role of a ghost. The film’s success catapulted her to fame, making her a household name.

After Bhoot, Barkha appeared in a few Punjabi films, but she couldn’t gain a strong foothold in the industry. She then ventured into the business side of things, founding a production and distribution company called Golden Gate LLC to support and promote talented independent filmmakers. When her film career didn’t take off, she shifted to television, where she became a familiar face, starring in over 20 shows.

However, there came a turning point in Barkha’s life. As her films didn’t work, she decided to move on. She dropped all the luxury and left the world of glitz and glamour to embrace Buddhism. She became a monk and adopted the name Gyalten Samten. Today, Barkha Madan is an ardent follower of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.