Meet Barkha Madan: Akshay, Ajay's Co-star Who Competed With Aishwarya, Sushmita And Quit Bollywood To Become A Monk

Who Is Barkha Madan?: While the glitz and glamour of the film industry can be attractive to most, a few have taken their chance to look away from it to lead a quaint life. Several Bollywood actors have been known to quit films in favour of a spiritual journey. One such actress is Barkha Madan. The actress made her debut with Akshay Kumar and competed in beauty pageants with Aishwarya Rai only to turn away from the world of cinema later.

Who is Barkha Madan? Former actress who has now turned Buddhist monk

Barkha Madan has itched the curious bones of social media users with her transformation. The actress, who is now going by the name, Gyalten Samten, gained fame as a model. Her noteworthy work was when she participated in the Miss India pageant in 1994 alongside Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen.

Sushmita Sen won the title of Miss India while Aishwarya Rai was crowned the first runner-up. Barkha Madan won the title of Miss Tourism India. She later represented India at the Miss Tourism International pageant in Malaysia and was the third runner-up.

Barkha Madan made her Bollywood debut with Akshay Kumar 

As is with most pageant participants, Barkha, too, aspired to a career in Bollywood. With stars aligning in her favour, the former actress got to debut in the Akshay Kumar-led film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996). The film featured Rekha and Raveena Tandon in lead roles. While the film was a hit, it took another 7 years for Barkha to get her second role in the industry.

Before landing the role in the next film, Barkha was featured in several television dramas. She portrayed the role of Rani Laxmi Bai in 1857 Kranti. She then appeared in Ram Gopal Varma's Bhoot (2003). She stood out in the film and left a lasting impression as Manjeet Khosla in the horror drama. The film featured, Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan, and Tanuja. Barkha then returned to television and was featured in the soap Saat Phere from 2005-2009.

Barkha Madan quit films for Buddhism 

Even during her time in the showbiz, Barkha Madan often shared her fondness for the Dalai Lama and spirituality. She last appeared in the film Surkhaab which she produced in 2012. Following the release of the film, the actress quit Bollywood to lead a life as a monk.

She adopted the name Gyalten Samten and has embraced Buddhism. She now resides in the mountains and often shares glimpses of her quaint life on Instagram. Her photos from her new life are now viral online.