The 'Witch' Who Vanished: The Night Veerana Star Went Missing From Bollywood And Never Came Back

The calls began pouring in after Veerana. Producers wanted the mysterious young woman whose beauty had terrified and captivated audiences across India. They called the Ramsay Brothers, asked for her number and lined up with offers.

But Jasmine Dhunna was no longer answering.

She had become a sensation almost overnight. Then, at the exact moment Bollywood came looking for her, she walked away. No farewell, no final interview and no explanation.

Nearly four decades later, the woman who became the unforgettable face of the 1988 horror hit remains missing from public life.

Some say she fled India after attracting unwanted attention from the underworld. Others claim she settled in America and occasionally returns to Mumbai. There were even rumours that she had died.

None has been conclusively established. Jasmine herself has never publicly returned to explain what happened.

A Debut At 13, Opposite A 33-Year-Old Vinod Khanna

Jasmine entered films extraordinarily young. She was reportedly just 13 when she appeared opposite the 33-year-old Vinod Khanna in the 1979 film Sarkari Mehmaan.

The film failed at the box office and did little for her career. At 18, she returned in Divorce, but that film also disappeared without making much noise.

For several years, Jasmine remained another young actress waiting for the role that might change everything.

It finally arrived from the Ramsay Brothers.

The part was risky. Horror was still routinely dismissed as low-budget, B-grade entertainment, and established actresses generally avoided it. Jasmine accepted what others would not.

That decision made her famous.

The Witch Who Terrified India

Released on May 6, 1988, Veerana cast Jasmine as a beautiful, seductive woman possessed by a witch who hunts men at night.

The film had a modest budget, but it became a major commercial success, particularly in smaller towns and rural markets. Jasmine's eyes, innocence and menacing sensuality became its most powerful image.

Author Dhruv Somani, who has researched the Ramsay Brothers and their films, told Radio Udaan, "We have to give credit to the Ramsays for making her a star overnight. The way they presented her - in a sensual, almost hypnotic avatar, the focus on her eyes, the lighting, it was impactful."

The effect reportedly travelled far beyond cinema halls.

"After the film released, people in villages would get genuinely scared walking in the dark, especially in areas without street lights. Jasmine became a face of fear," Somani said.

For audiences, Jasmine was suddenly unforgettable. For Bollywood producers, she was suddenly bankable.

Then she disappeared.

Producers Wanted Her. She Stopped Taking Calls

Filmmaker Deepak Ramsay later recalled the frenzy that followed the film.

"Jasmine was very young. In fact, before Veerana, she had done one or two films, including one with Vinod Khanna, but she did not make a mark in those projects," he told Hindi Rush.

"When Veerana released, it created havoc. People were crazy about her. She was extraordinarily beautiful, and the character itself became iconic. Every night she would go out hunting for a new victim, and audiences were fascinated by her."

He described Jasmine as "a lethal combination of innocence and beauty".

Producers began calling the Ramsay family, desperate to find her.

"She created an enigma. People kept asking, 'Who is this actress?' Many producers called us and requested her contact details because they wanted to sign her for films."

Jasmine, however, had apparently made a decision.

"Suddenly, knowingly or unknowingly, she decided she didn't want to work anymore. She stopped taking calls and never did another film after that."

A star had been born. But before Bollywood could turn her into one, she had removed herself from its reach.

Then Came The Underworld Stories

Jasmine's silence created a vacuum. Rumours rushed in to fill it.

The most persistent claim was that her appearance in Veerana had attracted attention from people linked to Mumbai's underworld. Some reports alleged that she received threats. Others claimed Dawood Ibrahim had approached her.

No evidence has ever emerged to substantiate those stories.

Deepak Ramsay acknowledged hearing them but stopped well short of confirming anything.

"I heard those rumours too. Whether they were real or not, I can't say. But there were stories that some underworld-connected people were trying to get in touch with her."

"Perhaps because of that, she wanted to cut herself off and retreat into her own shell."

The rumours endured because Jasmine never surfaced to deny them.

America, Versova And A Phone Call

Another account suggested that Jasmine left India at the height of her fame and settled in the United States. Some reports claimed she later returned to Mumbai after her mother's death. Others said the loss pushed her into depression and caused her to withdraw completely.

Once again, nothing was confirmed by Jasmine.

Then her Veerana co-star Hemant Birje offered the clearest indication in years that she was alive.

"I often speak to her. She is very much alive and doing well," he told Bollywood Thikana.

Birje said Jasmine lived in America but continued travelling to Mumbai, where she stayed in Versova. He even recalled one of their calls.

"I had dialled her some time ago - she checked on me and said she would call later. She did call me the next day and said, 'Hey, I have shopped a lot of clothes for you.' But I could never meet her."

According to Birje, Jasmine refuses to discuss the film that made her famous.

His account challenged the death rumours, but it did not end the mystery. Jasmine still did not appear publicly or confirm where she was.

"Slowly, She Kind Of Disappeared"

Deepak Ramsay revealed that Jasmine initially remained in contact with Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay.

"Initially, she told Tulsi Ramsay and Shyam Ramsay that she wasn't interested in doing more films and requested that we not share her number with producers. We respected her wishes and never passed on her contact details."

The communication eventually stopped.

"But slowly and steadily, she kind of disappeared."

Asked whether he knows where she is now, Ramsay admitted, "That is a very good question. Honestly, I don't know."

There was later talk of Jasmine returning for Veerana 2. The possibility excited fans, but no official announcement followed. With the deaths of the Ramsay Brothers, those comeback reports also faded away.

The questions, however, did not.

"People still ask me where she is, whether she has done any more films, whether they can meet her, get an autograph or simply talk to her," Deepak Ramsay said.

Perhaps Jasmine escaped something. Perhaps she suffered a personal loss. Perhaps she simply saw fame rushing towards her and decided she wanted no part of it.

What is known is far stranger than any rumour. In 1988, Jasmine Dhunna became the face everyone wanted to see. Then she spent the next four decades making sure they could not.