Barkha Madan once shared the stage with Aishwarya Rai and acted opposite Akshay Kumar. Today, the former Bollywood actress has left the glamour world behind to live as a Tibetan Buddhist nun.
Many actresses carefully pick their roles when they reach the peak of their careers. They focus heavily on fitness and beauty. They earn more success through good movies. But some actresses take a sudden U-turn right in the middle of their success. Many get married and leave the film industry. However, one Bollywood actress shocked everyone when she took ordination as a Buddhist nun at the height of her career. Today, she spends her time doing social work as a monk. This actress is none other than Barkha Madan.
Left movies and TV shows to become a nun
Barkha Madan won hearts through beauty pageants, movies, film production, and lead roles in TV serials. Today, she is a Buddhist nun. She left Bollywood, movies, serials, and the beauty industry over a decade ago. She changed her name to Gyalten Samten when she took ordination as a Tibetan Buddhist nun.
Barkha Madan comes from a Punjabi background. She participated in the Femina Miss India pageant in 1994. She walked the ramp alongside Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen. Later, she won the Tourism India beauty pageant crown. This win gave her a direct entry into Bollywood. She made her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay Kumar in the 1996 movie Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. She also appeared in a Dutch movie and made her mark as an international artist.
Barkha Madan received huge praise for playing a ghost in Ram Gopal Varma’s 2003 movie Bhoot. She also stepped into film production around this time. Meanwhile, she stayed very active on television and worked in more than 20 TV shows and serials.
A surprising decision in 2012
Barkha Madan was busy with TV shows, movies, and production work. But Buddhism deeply influenced her in 2012. She was a follower of the Dalai Lama. She soon accepted ordination as a Buddhist nun. She has lived in the Tibetan region as a Buddhist nun for the last 14 years. Barkha Madan has stated many times that this was the best decision she ever made.