- Malini Sharma acted in the 2002 hit horror film Raaz
- She married actor Priyanshu Chatterjee, later divorced
- She left Bollywood gradually, avoiding public announcements
There was a time when Malini Sharma was everywhere. She was seen in popular music videos, appeared on television, and then made her way to the big screen with Raaz. But just as her career was beginning to take off, she chose to step away from Bollywood.
Today, she leads a very different life. Away from film sets and Mumbai's spotlight, Malini lives in the Sahyadri Hills, where she runs a farmstay, grows her own vegetables, and cooks for guests using produce from her farm.
Malini Sharma In Raaz
Malini featured in Vikram Bhatt's Raaz in 2002, which starred Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea. The horror film went on to become a major success and is still remembered as one of the popular horror films of that time.
Although Malini did not play the lead, she left an impression. Her appearance in the song Aapke Pyaar Mein became one of the most memorable parts of her short Bollywood career.
Around the same time, she married actor Priyanshu Chatterjee. He had made his debut with Tum Bin in 2001. However, the marriage ended in divorce a few years later.
In 2002, she reportedly walked out of the film Encounter just 48 hours before the shooting was about to begin. According to India Today, she had started considering work behind the camera after years as a model and actor.
And then, she slowly stepped away from Bollywood.
From Mumbai To Living A Slower Life
Malini did not make a big announcement about leaving the industry. She simply became less visible.
Eventually, she started The Slow Local, a venture centred around local food, crafts and workshops. It began with pop-ups and events in Versova and included everything from children's storytelling sessions to homemade bread, granola, jams, peanut butter, South Indian coffee and oils.
She now runs a farmstay in the Sahyadris, around two hours from Pune. She grows vegetables there and uses the farm's produce to prepare meals for her guests.
"I Am Alive. I Am Here"
For years, Malini rarely spoke about why she left Bollywood. But recently, she gave people a glimpse into her life through The Slow Local Diaries, a video diary about her life at the farm.
The series also marked her return to the camera after a long gap. Sharing the first video, she wrote, "Facing the camera again after very long... this time the real me, no makeup, no dialogues, shooting from the heart."
She also addressed the question many people had been asking for years.
"Hi, this is Malini, facing the camera again after 23 years of Raaz. For those of you wondering where I disappeared, well, I am alive. I am here to present The Slow Local Diaries," she said.
For those who remember the early 2000s, Malini may be best known as the face of Bombay Vikings' Kya Soorat Hai. She later appeared in Mika Singh's Saawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag.
She also starred in the television show CATS, alongside Nafisa Joseph and Kuljeet Randhawa.