Pahlaj Nihalani, a seasoned filmmaker and former chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification, recently opened up about his interactions with various Bollywood actors and his extensive experience as a leading producer. Among the anecdotes he shared, Nihalani recalled his encounter with the late actress Divya Bharti and the intriguing circumstances surrounding her refusal to take on a particular film.

Describing their initial meeting, Pahlaj Nihalani disclosed that Divya Bharti was originally slated to star alongside Chunky Pandey in the film "Aankhen." However, upon learning about her co-star, Divya unleashed a series of tantrums and vehemently resisted the casting decision.

Nihalani reminisced about the first time he crossed paths with Divya Bharti, which came about after Sunny Deol's secretary showed him photographs of the budding actress. At that juncture, he suggested that Divya needed to shed some weight to fit the role in one of his projects. However, by the time she managed to achieve the desired physique and joined the cast of "Shola Aur Shabnam," much of the filming had already been completed. With only 5-6 days of work left on the film, Nihalani disclosed that the entire movie had been shot without a female lead. Impressed by Divya's personality upon their first face-to-face encounter, he subsequently offered her more film roles.

The pivotal moment in this narrative unfolded when Divya Bharti was cast in Nihalani's film "Aankhen." Upon learning that her co-star would be Chunky Pandey, she threw a massive tantrum, even resorting to threats. Divya requested a meeting with Pahlaj Nihalani to confirm the news of her co-star, and during this encounter, she adamantly expressed her refusal to work alongside Chunky Pandey. Consequently, Divya Bharti exited the project.

During the 1990s, Divya Bharti stood as one of the era's most prominent leading ladies. She starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan in "Deewana" (1992) and "Dil Ashna Hai" (1992), with Govinda in "Shola Aur Shabnam" (1991), and alongside Sunny Deol in "Vishwatma" (1992). In 1992, she tied the knot with producer Sajid Nadiadwala and ascended to become one of the highest-paid actresses of her time. However, her life took a tragic turn when she passed away under mysterious circumstances, falling from the balcony of her fifth-floor apartment in Mumbai in April 1993. Her death was officially declared as accidental in 1998.

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