10 Bollywood Actresses Who Quit Showbiz For Religion
Posted On: 31 Oct 2022 | Last Updated : 01 Nov 2022 | Views : 2.5k
Bollywood industry is the world of glamour, which is heaven for those who aspire to build a successful career in acting and showcase their talent. Filled with glitz and shine, Bollywood is a place known for transforming an ordinary man into an overnight star. Thousands of people travel to Mumbai every year with only one motive, to make it big in the Bollywood industry; however, only few get a chance to witness their dreams coming true. While some struggle for years to be a part of the industry, others simply choose to turn down their destiny and bid goodbye to the industry forever. In the past, many artists decided to quit showbiz forever for some or the other personal reasons. Often Bollywood saw some actresses exit from the film industry for the sake of religion, as they chose dedicating themselves to follow the spiritual path over continuing with their successful career in Bollywood. So today, we will talk about the top ten Bollywood actresses who quit showbiz for religious beliefs.
1. Barkha Madan
Born in a Punjabi family, Barkha Madan became the finalist of Miss India 1994, alongside Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai. After having a successful modeling career, Barkha tried her luck in acting and made her Bollywood debut with the 1996 film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. Later, she acted in movies like Tera Mera Pyar (1999), Bhoot (2003), Samay: When Time Strikes (2003), Soch Lo (2010), etc. Extremely impressed by the ideologies of Buddhism, Barkha decided to become a Buddhist nun in 2012, and under Lama Zopa Rinpoche, she changed her name to Ven, and bid her goodbye to the Bollywood film industry.
2. Nupur Alankar
Former Bollywood actress Nupur Alankar commenced her acting career in the year 2001 with David Dhawan’s comedy drama Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta, starring Govinda and Sushmita Sen. Later, she appeared in movies like Pran Jaaye Par Shaan Na Jaaye (2003) and Saawariya (2007). She has also acted in several TV serials; however, in early 2022, she announced ‘sanyas’ and headed to the Himalayas. Before leaving, she parted ways with her husband Alankar Srivastav, who freed her from their marriage. In an interview, she stated that the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdown helped her practice the detachment and realise the falsity of materialistic things.
3. Anu Aggarwal
Best known for her works in her debut movie Aashiqui (1990), directed by Mahesh Bhatt, alongside Rahul Roy, Anu Aggarwal is the former model and actress. Anu was raised in Delhi and started her career in modelling in late 1980s, and soon after switched to VJ’ing. Following the success of her debut film, Anu Aggarwal went on to act in several movies like Gajab Tamaasa (1992), King Uncle (1993), Khal Naaikaa (1993), Return of Jewel Thief (1996) and many more. In 1997, she started to practice yoga and became a Karmayogi. Later, in 1999, she met with a road accident, following which she was in coma for 29 days and lost all the memory of her previous life. In 2001, she became a monk and continued to practice yoga and left Bollywood.
4. Sofia Hayat
The singer, actress and famous television personality, Sofia Hayat gained immense fame by participating in ‘Bigg Boss 7’ in 2013. Best known for her boldness, Sofia started her career in 2002 as a TV presenter with Zee Music TV SKY. She made her Bollywood debut with the 2012 thriller crime drama Diary of a Butterfly. She has also acted in movies like Nachle London (2012), Six X (2016) and Aksar 2 (2017). In 2016, she announced to leave the showbiz and embraced spirituality. She later became a nun and adopted a new name, Gaia Sofia Mother.
5. Sana Khan
TV reality show, Bigg Boss 6 (2012) fame Sana Khan shocked everyone by announcing her bid to showbiz for embracing spirituality. Former actress, model and dancer, Sana Khan began her career as a model and went on to appear in several advertisements. She made her Bollywood debut with the 2005 film Yehi Hai High Society, following which she appeared in small supporting roles or dance numbers in various Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. She has also acted in movies like Jai Ho (2016), Wajah Tum Ho (2016) and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017). In 2020, the actress announced on her Instagram page that she’d be quitting the entertainment industry to serve humanity and feel closer to the creator.
6. Zaira Wasim
Born in a Kashmiri Muslim family, Zaira Wasim achieved great success in Bollywood industry at a very young age; she had it all what others dream of. At the age of 16, she made her debut with the 2016 blockbuster sports drama Dangal, co-starring Aamir Khan. She became an overnight star and a social media sensation. Soon after, she appeared in Advait Chandan’s directorial debut Secret Superstar (2017), which was followed by her next film The Sky is Pink (2019). Zaira’s performance was praised by both audience and critics in all her films. However, in 2019, she announced to end her career in the film industry, as it conflicted with her religious beliefs, and became one of the youngest Bollywood actresses who left showbiz because of religion. Soon after, she deleted all her pictures from her social media handles and requested her fans to take down her pictures from social media too.
7. Mamta Kulkarni
Mamta Kulkarni is a former Indian actress and dancer, who started her career by marking her debut in the 1992 film Mera Dil Tere Liye, directed by S.A. Chandrashekhar. Following this, she appeared in several hit movies, like Aashik Aawara (1993), Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Krantiveer (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Andolan (1995), Baazi (1995), China Gate (1998) and many more. She quit the Bollywood industry after her appearance in her last film Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum (2002). While some of the reports claim that she left Bollywood, as her career dried in the industry, she made her appearance in the public after a decade to announce that she left showbiz, as she transformed into a spiritual person and got rid of all her materialistic desires.
8. Suchitra Sen
One of the best Indian actresses, Suchitra Sen predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali films. Recipient of several accolades, Suchitra Sen became the first Indian actress to receive an award at international film festival at the 1963 Moscow International film festival. She made her screen debut with the 1953 Bengali film Saat Number Kayedi. She has acted in Bollywood films like Agnipariksha (1954), Devdas (1955), Musafir (1957), Bombai Ka Baboo (1960), Aandhi (1975) and many more. After an extensive career of 25 years, Suchitra Sen finally retired from the entertainment industry in the late 1970s. She completely avoided the public gaze and devoted her time to Ramakrishna Mission, and became one of the first Bollywood actresses who quit showbiz to follow the religious path.
9. Protima Bedi
One of the best Indian Odissi dancers, Protima Gauri Bedi started her career as a model and soon after established her career in Odissi dance. She was married to actor Kabir Bedi, while actress Pooja Bedi is her daughter. In 1978, she made her screen debut with the social drama Gaman. She was highly affected by her son, Siddharth Bedi’s death, who was suffering from Schizophrenia and committed suicide. The event changed the course of her life, and in 1998, she announced her retirement from the entertainment industry. She decided to take sanyas and set off on her pilgrimage, starting from travelling to the Himalayas, then Rishikesh and Kailash Mansarovar. Thus, towards the end of her life, Protima Gauri Bedi completely transitioned to a sanyasini.
10. Tanushree Dutta
The former Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta started her career with the Femina Miss India beauty pageant in 2003, and represented India in 2004 Miss Universe. She made her Bollywood debut with the 2005 crime thriller drama Chocolate, and in the same year appeared in the musical blockbuster Aashiq Banaya Aapne, alongside Emraan Hashmi. She has also acted in movies like Bhagam Bhag (2006), Dhol (2007), Risk (2007), Good Boy, Bad Boy (2007), Rokkk (2010), etc. In an interview in 2013, she revealed that she faced sexual harassment on the sets of 2009 film Horn ‘OK’ Pleassss, and the incident shook her to the extent that she considered quitting the film industry. Initially, she took a break and got involved in eastern Indian spirituality and spent over a year in an ashram. Following this, she moved to Ladakh to learn and practice Buddhist meditation and permanently disappeared from Bollywood.
