Barkha Madan

Last updated

Barkha Madan
Born
Punjab, India
Other namesVen. Gyalten Samten
Occupations
  • Former model
  • beauty queen titleholder
  • former actress
  • former producer
  • Buddhist nun
Years active1994–2012

Barkha Madan, now known as Gyalten Samten is an Indian Buddhist nun as well as former model, beauty queen, actress and film producer who has appeared in Hindi and Punjabi language films. [1] She has also appeared in television serials and hosted some TV shows. Impressed by Buddhist ideologies, in November 2012 she had her ordination to become a Buddhist nun and changed her name to Ven. Gyalten Samten. [2]

Contents

Early life

Madan was born to a Punjabi family. [1] In 1994, she competed at the Femina Miss India pageant alongside winners Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai. Other participants competed in that year were Priya Gill, Swetha Menon, Jesse Randhawa and Manini De. [1] She received the title of Miss Tourism India where she participated at the inaugural Miss Tourism International pageant. At the end of the pageant, she won third runner-up alongside Malaysian actress and model, Emylia Abdul Hamid who was the runner-up of the said pageant. [1] She made her debut on the big screen with the 1996 Bollywood film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi with Akshay Kumar and Rekha. [1] [3]

Acting career

Though many offers came to her following her impressive performance in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Barkha preferred to remain selective. She made her entry in foreign films with the Indo-Dutch movie Driving Miss Palmen. It was Ram Gopal Varma's 2003 horror film Bhoot which proved to be a turning point in Barkha's career. The movie became an instant hit. She played the role of a ghost in the movie, earning praise for her performance.

She started a production and distribution company named Golden Gate LLC, to promote talented independent filmmakers. It produced two critically acclaimed films, Soch Lo and Surkhaab , with her in the lead. Barkha has also been a popular face in the television industry, appearing in about 20 TV shows. [4]

Turning to spirituality

In November 2012, she set her mind to become a Buddhist nun. [5] She was very much impressed by the ideologies of Buddhism and is an avid follower of the Dalai Lama. She had her ordination from Sera Je Monastery on 4 November under Lama Zopa Rinpoche's supervision. She later commented that it was the most important and right decision she ever made in her life. [6] [7]

Filmography

Notable television works

Related Research Articles

<i>Bhoot</i> (film) 2003 Indian film

Bhoot (transl. Ghost) is a 2003 Indian supernatural horror film directed by Ram Gopal Varma and stars an ensemble cast of Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan and Tanuja. It was the second horror film made by Ram Gopal Verma after Raat. It was perceived to be different from a typical Hindi film as it did not contain songs. It was later dubbed in Telugu as 12 Va Anthasthu and remade in Tamil version as Shock.

<i>Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi</i> 1996 Indian Hindi film directed by Umesh Mehra

Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film starring Rekha in her first villain role, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and former WWF wrestlers "Crush" and Brian Lee as "The Undertaker". It was the 5th highest-grossing movie of the year 1996. It was the fourth installment in the Khiladi series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aarti Chabria</span> Indian actress (born 1982)

Aarti Chabria is an Indian actress and former model who appears in Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi and Kannada films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Ciesla</span> Polish-born German actress and model

Claudia Ciesla is a Polish-born German actress and model who works mainly in the Indian film industry. She was a contestant on the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thubten Chodron</span> American Tibetan Buddhist nun, author, teacher; founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey

Thubten Chodron, born Cheryl Greene, is an American Tibetan Buddhist nun, author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western nuns and monks in the United States. Chodron is a central figure in the reinstatement of the Bhikshuni ordination of women. She is a student of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, and other Tibetan masters. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and is co-authoring with the Dalai Lama a multi-volume series of teachings on the Buddhist path, The Library of Wisdom and Compassion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Buddhism</span> Religious society

Women in Buddhism is a topic that can be approached from varied perspectives including those of theology, history, anthropology, and feminism. Topical interests include the theological status of women, the treatment of women in Buddhist societies at home and in public, the history of women in Buddhism, and a comparison of the experiences of women across different forms of Buddhism. As in other religions, the experiences of Buddhist women have varied considerably.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rekha filmography</span>

Rekha is an Indian actress who has had a prolific career in Hindi films, and is acknowledged as one of the finest actresses of Indian cinema. She first appeared as a child artist in two Telugu-language films Inti Guttu (1958) and Rangula Ratnam (1966), but her career as a lead started with the Kannada film Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999 in 1969. In that same year, she starred in her first Hindi film, Anjana Safar, which was delayed for ten years due to censorship problems. Her first Hindi release was Sawan Bhadon (1970), a commercial success which established her as a rising star. She followed with roles in Raampur Ka Lakshman (1972), Kahani Kismat Ki (1973), and Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974), to mainstream success but little recognition for her acting, and press criticism of her looks and overweight. Rekha was motivated to improve her acting and appearance and managed a well-publicised transformation, both physically and in terms of her screen persona and command of the Hindi language. Her work in the 1976 drama Do Anjaane was better received, and critical recognition of her roles as a rape victim in Ghar and a courtesan in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robina Courtin</span> Australian Buddhist nun

Robina Courtin is a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan Buddhist Gelugpa tradition and lineage of Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In 1996 she founded the Liberation Prison Project, which she ran until 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simran Kaur Mundi</span> Indian model and actress

Simran Kaur Mundi is an Indian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She works in Hindi films. She won the title of Femina Miss India Universe 2008 and represented India at Miss Universe 2008. She made her acting debut in the Hindi film Jo Hum Chahein in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubina Dilaik</span> Indian actress (born 1989)

Rubina Dilaik is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi television. Dilaik is widely recognised for her portrayal of Radhika Shastri in her acting debut Chotti Bahu and for portraying Soumya Singh, a transgender woman in Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki, for she received critical acclaim and won ITA Award for Best Actress Drama. In 2020, she emerged as the winner of Bigg Boss 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gauahar Khan</span> Indian actress (born 1983)

Gauahar Khan is an Indian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She appears in Hindi films and television. She started her career as a model and participated in the Femina Miss India contest in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaheera</span> Indian actress

Zaheera is an Indian actress. She debuted in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. She would go on to appear in Bollywood movies over the next decade. She appeared in a lead role for the first time in Call Girl (1974), directed by Vijay Kapoor, a movie with a controversial theme at that time and was a hit at the box office. She also had roles in Aadmi Sadak Ka and Naukri. One of her hit films was Gambler with Dev Anand, Shatrughna Sinha, Zahida and Jeevan. She has worked in a few Punjabi movies as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyabje Choden Rinpoche</span> Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader (1930–2015)

(Kyabje) Choden Rinpoche was a contemporary yogi-scholar of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and a reincarnation ('sprul-sku') of the Choden lineage, the historical abbots of Rabten Monastery (Tibetan: རབ་བརྟེན་དགོན་པ, Wylie: in Rong-bo district, Kham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deana Uppal</span> English actress, business woman and director

Deana Uppal is an English beauty pageant titleholder, actress and business entrepreneur. She was the winner of Miss India UK 2012. She was also one of the housemates in the Big Brother, one of the contestants in Fear Factor, Khatron ke Khiladi 5, and has featured in various movies. Uppal currently runs a number of businesses under DKU World. Uppal is the founder of DKU Kindness Diaries charitable trust. Deana's latest documentary, which she directed, produced and hosted, is currently being shown on channels worldwide.

Kishore Bhanushali is an Indian actor and stand-up comedian notable for his works in Hindi films and television serials. He has a likeness to late Bollywood actor Dev Anand. He had the main lead in many films like Hum Hain Khalnayak, Jai Maa Karwa Chauth, and also a central role in Ramgarh Ke Sholay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonnalli Seygall</span> Indian actress (born 1989)

Sonnalli A Sajnani is an Indian actress and beauty pageant titleholder who represented India at Miss International 2006 and placed Top 12. her first film was 2011's Pyaar Ka Punchnama, directed by Luv Ranjan. She played Rhea opposite Raayo S Bakhirta playing Vikrant Chaudhary. Sonnalli was also seen in Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 and Wedding Pullav, both releasing on the same day. She was recently seen in an advertisement with Salman Khan for Thums Up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjana Mumtaz</span> Indian film and television actress (born 1941)

Anjana Mumtaz is an Indian actress, who is known for her supporting roles in over a hundred Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati-language films. Born as Anjana Manjrekar, she married Sajid Mumtaz, an Air India official. Her son is Ruslaan Mumtaz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radhika Madan</span> Indian actress (born 1995)

Radhika Madan is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and television. Madan is a recipient of several accolades including a Screen Award and a Filmfare OTT Award. Madan was featured by Forbes India in their 30 Under 30 list of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raveena Tandon filmography</span> Filmography

Raveena Tandon is an Indian actress known for her work in Hindi films. She made her acting debut in the 1991 action film Patthar Ke Phool, which earned her the Filmfare Award for New Face of the Year. This was followed by a series of unsuccessful films including Ek Hi Raasta (1993) and Parampara . In 1994, she appeared in eight Hindi films, most of them were commercial successes. Among these were two of the top-grossing films – the romantic musical drama Dilwale and the action drama Mohra. The success of the latter marked a turning point in her career, establishing Tandon as a leading actress in Hindi cinema. The same year, her performance in the drama Laadla, earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other film was the comedy Andaz Apna Apna, which though initially a box office disappointment, attained cult status over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monica Gill</span> American model, actress and beauty pageant title holder

Monica Gill is an American model, actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She won the Miss India Worldwide 2014 on 21 June 2014. She is also Miss India USA winner on 26 November 2013 while serving as Miss India New England. In 2015, she participated in MTV India show India's Next Top Model.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Barkha Madan: From Punjabi-Hindi film actress to a Buddhist nun!". In.com . 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "ഗ്ലാമര്‍ റാണിയില്‍ നിന്ന് സന്യാസിനിയായി മാറിയ താരം". manoramaonline. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "About Us | Indian Entertainment Online". Indianentertainment.info. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "Barkha Madan Bio from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India". Funbaz.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Kalvankar, Vaishalee (29 September 2022). "Ex- Khiladi Girl & Model Barkha Madan Became A Monk At Sera Je Monastery". Curly Tales. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  6. ↑ "The "Bollywood" Nun: An Indian Actress Takes Ordination Vows « Mandala Publications". Mandala.fpmt.org. 4 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  7. ↑ TLJ, Team (10 February 2020). "The Explorer, Barkha Madan- Her tryst with spirituality". thelifestylejournalist.com. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.