Kirti Ahuja, notorious as Govinda's brother, hijacked teenager Divya Bharti from school.
''You're my Radha." he told her and lured her into the cesspool of cinema. But after waiting in the wings for over eight months, all she got was a lot of muck and no film...
He locked her up and threw away the key. Since that eventful day when she signed a contract with Kirti. Divya was forced to go underground. The newcomer was just about to start her final year at school, but Kirti willed otherwise. If she wanted to be the heroine of his film, she would concentrate totally on it, he told her. Her text books went out ot the window and school became a closed chapter.
No, Divya didn't protest too much. It isn't every day that a girl, no matter how pretty, is offered a role in films. That too, by a prestigious director like Kriti, with 'Hatya' to his credit and Govinda for a brother. Divya fell in with Kirti's plans without a thought. More so, because Kirti had hunted from Kashmire to Kanyakumari for his Radha, and untimately settied on this girl from his neighbourhood in Juhu.
Divya Bharti was elated. a lot of people had remarked that she was very beautiful,"a younger, pretty version of Sreedevi". Of course the biggest and best compliment, was being offered stardom on a platter. not even Sreedevi could boast this.
After signing on the dotted line for 'Radha Ka Sangam' life was a frenzy of activities. Kriti wanted her to learn horse-ridding. Kirti wanted her to brush up on her dancing. Kirti wanted her to dress like this and Kirti wanted her to emote like that. In short, Kirti took the reins of her life.
Divya loved every minute. Suddenly she was very special in the neighbourhood. People now treated her with awe. magazines flashed her pictures and turned her into a celebrity. Mama gooded her with more praise and papa groomed himself for the role of far father. Probably the only one who wasn't affected by it all was li'l brother Kunal.
Although Kirti told the teenager morning and night, "You'll be a very big star,", at the end of eight months, he still didn't launch his film, she began to get restless. When she badgered Kirti with, "When do you start shootiing?", he'd say, "Be patient". his tutelage continued, but the shooting didn't get underway.
With the dearth of heroines in the industry, several other produces queued up outside divya's door. Among them, the Morani brothers, A Poornachandra Roa and even N.T. Ramarao, chief ministr of Andra Pradesh evinced an interest. Divya as flattered. Her mother began to feel restless. mrs. Meeta Bharti could hardly wait to become a star mother. Kirti Ahuja was suddenly the villain. He was coming in between Divya and her stardom. he wasn't starting his film, nor was he allowing her to sign any onter. The contract Divya had signed with Kirti was cast-iron - it stated that 'Radha ka Sangam' was to be her firm film.
What's worse - Kirti started getting too possessive. he didn't want Divya to meet any of her school friends, outside her own home, he wouldn't let her go to any public place unaccompained. She wasn't allowed outings with friends and parties were taboo.
"I did a course at Anooradha Patel's Orchis, and just before we passed out, there was a party. Kabir Bedi and Moon Moon Sen were the chief guests. It was at the function before the party, that we were going to be handed our certificates." informed Divya. "I pleaded with Kirti for over an hour on the telephone, to please allow me ti attend the party, but he wouldn't." The 15-year old began to feel stiffed by Kirti's possessiveness. she gave him an ultimatum... "Either you start your film or relieve me from the contact."
But Kirti once again, is said to have pacified her, with his sweet talk. however, the day Kirti learnt that she had a boyfriend his attitude became overbearing. It was the final straw that broke Kriti's back... sorry heart. He wanted a girl with a virginal image for his first film. The boy friend would complicate matters. Divya didn't seem to share his thinking. So kirti Ahuja threw Divya Bharti right out of his film.
"I was upset about his decision," confessed Divya. "But not starring in Kirti's film is not the end of the world, I am one who told him to return my contract. He was getting too possessive," she said. 'I am 15 years old. He virtually kept me prisoner. Even my parents didn't ask me as many questions as Kirti did. if he wanted his Radha to ne pristine and pure, how come he's chosen Juhi Chawala? She has acted inn so many films up to now. Her image isn't that of a virgin...,"she continued.
Kirti refused to admit that he was at fault,"The girl was lacking sincerity," he told me. brother Govinda added, "Us mein woh feeling nahin aa rahi thi." What feeling, I questioned, Govinda kept repeating, "Pappu bhaiya (Kriti) wasn't happy with her."
"I trained her for six months," Kirti insisted."At the end of that, if I have set her free, there must be a definite reason for it, "he continued. what reason , I asked. but Kirti was unwilling to tell. He hinted that Divya's mother was too dominating and interfered in the "girl's affair". He also hinted that he didn't like her having a boyfriend, but refused to go on quote. Wasn't he in love with Radha, got an answer like," I am in love with my concept of radha. not in love with Radha(Divya) herself."
The boyfriend was traced. Divya Bharti is bonkers about Feroz Khan's son Fardeen apparently. But she shrugged him iff as "a mere acquatance , whom I met in my club a few times. And whom I have spoken on the telephone precisely twice. I'm too young to have boyfriends," she convinced. But she let herself down when she queried, "Who told you about Fardeen?"
Boyfriend or not however, Divya is all set to start her career now, The offers are pouring in, among them Boney kapoor's 'Prem' for which she was screen-tested. At the time of going to Press, Shekhar Kapur was yet to give his verdict.
"I heard that my Radha is going to be heroine of Boney's Prem,"said Kirti to me."Well , she has my blessing." I'm sure there's little else Divya can ask for at the moment...
''You're my Radha." he told her and lured her into the cesspool of cinema. But after waiting in the wings for over eight months, all she got was a lot of muck and no film...
He locked her up and threw away the key. Since that eventful day when she signed a contract with Kirti. Divya was forced to go underground. The newcomer was just about to start her final year at school, but Kirti willed otherwise. If she wanted to be the heroine of his film, she would concentrate totally on it, he told her. Her text books went out ot the window and school became a closed chapter.
No, Divya didn't protest too much. It isn't every day that a girl, no matter how pretty, is offered a role in films. That too, by a prestigious director like Kriti, with 'Hatya' to his credit and Govinda for a brother. Divya fell in with Kirti's plans without a thought. More so, because Kirti had hunted from Kashmire to Kanyakumari for his Radha, and untimately settied on this girl from his neighbourhood in Juhu.
Divya Bharti was elated. a lot of people had remarked that she was very beautiful,"a younger, pretty version of Sreedevi". Of course the biggest and best compliment, was being offered stardom on a platter. not even Sreedevi could boast this.
After signing on the dotted line for 'Radha Ka Sangam' life was a frenzy of activities. Kriti wanted her to learn horse-ridding. Kirti wanted her to brush up on her dancing. Kirti wanted her to dress like this and Kirti wanted her to emote like that. In short, Kirti took the reins of her life.
Divya loved every minute. Suddenly she was very special in the neighbourhood. People now treated her with awe. magazines flashed her pictures and turned her into a celebrity. Mama gooded her with more praise and papa groomed himself for the role of far father. Probably the only one who wasn't affected by it all was li'l brother Kunal.
Although Kirti told the teenager morning and night, "You'll be a very big star,", at the end of eight months, he still didn't launch his film, she began to get restless. When she badgered Kirti with, "When do you start shootiing?", he'd say, "Be patient". his tutelage continued, but the shooting didn't get underway.
With the dearth of heroines in the industry, several other produces queued up outside divya's door. Among them, the Morani brothers, A Poornachandra Roa and even N.T. Ramarao, chief ministr of Andra Pradesh evinced an interest. Divya as flattered. Her mother began to feel restless. mrs. Meeta Bharti could hardly wait to become a star mother. Kirti Ahuja was suddenly the villain. He was coming in between Divya and her stardom. he wasn't starting his film, nor was he allowing her to sign any onter. The contract Divya had signed with Kirti was cast-iron - it stated that 'Radha ka Sangam' was to be her firm film.
What's worse - Kirti started getting too possessive. he didn't want Divya to meet any of her school friends, outside her own home, he wouldn't let her go to any public place unaccompained. She wasn't allowed outings with friends and parties were taboo.
"I did a course at Anooradha Patel's Orchis, and just before we passed out, there was a party. Kabir Bedi and Moon Moon Sen were the chief guests. It was at the function before the party, that we were going to be handed our certificates." informed Divya. "I pleaded with Kirti for over an hour on the telephone, to please allow me ti attend the party, but he wouldn't." The 15-year old began to feel stiffed by Kirti's possessiveness. she gave him an ultimatum... "Either you start your film or relieve me from the contact."
But Kirti once again, is said to have pacified her, with his sweet talk. however, the day Kirti learnt that she had a boyfriend his attitude became overbearing. It was the final straw that broke Kriti's back... sorry heart. He wanted a girl with a virginal image for his first film. The boy friend would complicate matters. Divya didn't seem to share his thinking. So kirti Ahuja threw Divya Bharti right out of his film.
"I was upset about his decision," confessed Divya. "But not starring in Kirti's film is not the end of the world, I am one who told him to return my contract. He was getting too possessive," she said. 'I am 15 years old. He virtually kept me prisoner. Even my parents didn't ask me as many questions as Kirti did. if he wanted his Radha to ne pristine and pure, how come he's chosen Juhi Chawala? She has acted inn so many films up to now. Her image isn't that of a virgin...,"she continued.
Kirti refused to admit that he was at fault,"The girl was lacking sincerity," he told me. brother Govinda added, "Us mein woh feeling nahin aa rahi thi." What feeling, I questioned, Govinda kept repeating, "Pappu bhaiya (Kriti) wasn't happy with her."
"I trained her for six months," Kirti insisted."At the end of that, if I have set her free, there must be a definite reason for it, "he continued. what reason , I asked. but Kirti was unwilling to tell. He hinted that Divya's mother was too dominating and interfered in the "girl's affair". He also hinted that he didn't like her having a boyfriend, but refused to go on quote. Wasn't he in love with Radha, got an answer like," I am in love with my concept of radha. not in love with Radha(Divya) herself."
The boyfriend was traced. Divya Bharti is bonkers about Feroz Khan's son Fardeen apparently. But she shrugged him iff as "a mere acquatance , whom I met in my club a few times. And whom I have spoken on the telephone precisely twice. I'm too young to have boyfriends," she convinced. But she let herself down when she queried, "Who told you about Fardeen?"
Boyfriend or not however, Divya is all set to start her career now, The offers are pouring in, among them Boney kapoor's 'Prem' for which she was screen-tested. At the time of going to Press, Shekhar Kapur was yet to give his verdict.
"I heard that my Radha is going to be heroine of Boney's Prem,"said Kirti to me."Well , she has my blessing." I'm sure there's little else Divya can ask for at the moment...