New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan's early movies 'Dil Aashna Hai' and 'Deewana' were both opposite Divya Bharti. With her, he made his film debut in 'Deewana'. It will be thirty years since her passing on April 5, 2023. The young actress died after falling from the fifth floor balcony of her Mumbai building. She was married to the producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Divya Bharti was barely 19-years-old at the time of her death. Shah Rukh recalled how he found about her death in Delhi. She was also described as a 'stunning' actor by him, and he added that her method was distinct from his more serious one. Audiences adored their on-screen relationship.
With the Tamil film 'Nila Pennae', Divya made her film debut in 1990. Before becoming a success with 'Vishwatma' and the song 'Saat Samundar' in 1992, she appeared in a number of south Indian films. As she had 12 films releasing in 1992, it was a significant year for the actor. She also won the Lux New Face of the Year award for 'Deewana' at the 1993 Filmfare Awards. The actress had a bright future in front of her, but it was cut short by her untimely death.
Speaking to NDTV in an old interview, Shah Rukh Khan had said, "Divya Bharti was, I think, stunning as an actor. She was most unlike an actor, like I thought of myself. I was a serious kind of guy and she was this completely whacky, fun-loving girl. I remember I had finished dubbing in Sea Rock Hotel. I dubbed [for] Deewana. I walked out of Sea Rock, I saw her and said hello. She looked at me and said, 'You're not just an actor, you're an institution.' I was very touched by that. I said, wow. I didn't understand it, so I quickly went and read up the meaning of the saying. I realised that it meant a lot."
Remembering how he came to know about her untimely death, Shah Rukh said, "I pray for her soul. I was sleeping in Delhi and they were playing my song, Aisi Deewangi. I thought I've become a big star. I didn't know how to become a big star. The film was a big hit. Suddenly there were these songs playing and I woke up in the morning and I saw that she had died. She had fallen off from a window. It was one of the biggest shocks, because I think I was supposed to do another film with her."
Divya Bharti's last film was 'Kshatriya' in 1993. 'Rang', 'Tholi Muddhu' and 'Shatranj' were all released posthumously.