Meet actress who competed with Aishwarya Rai, made debut with Akshay Kumar, quit Bollywood to become monk, is now...

Many celebrities, including Zaira Wasim and Sana Khan, have chosen to leave the entertainment industry to pursue spirituality. One such individual is Barkha Madan, a former model, beauty queen, and actress, who left her acting career behind to become a Buddhist monk, and is now known as Gyalten Samten.

Barkha, a well-known figure in the modeling industry, took part in the Miss India beauty pageant in 1994, where she competed alongside Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai, who went on to be crowned winner and first runner-up, respectively. Barkha was awarded Miss Tourism India and finished as the third runner-up in the Miss Tourism International pageant in Malaysia.

She made her Bollywood debut in 1996 with the action film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, starring Akshay Kumar, Rekha, and Raveena Tandon in lead roles. The film became a major hit, but it took Barkha another seven years to land her next significant role, in Ram Gopal Varma's Bhoot in 2003. She left a lasting impact on both critics and audiences with her chilling portrayal of the ghost Manjeet Khosla in the supernatural horror film. Barkha stood out in the film's star-studded ensemble, which included Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan, and Tanuja.

Between Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi and Bhoot, Barkha appeared in several TV serials, including the social drama Nyaay and the historical series 1857 Kranti, where she portrayed Rani Laxmibai. After Bhoot, when the roles she desired didn't materialize, she returned to television. From 2005 to 2009, she was a part of the popular Zee TV show Saat Phere – Saloni Ka Safar, which starred Rajshree Thakur and Sharad Kelkar in the lead roles.

In 2010, Barkha decided to become a producer and founded Golden Gate LLC to support talented independent filmmakers. She produced and starred in two films, Soch Lo and Surkhaab. A lifelong follower of the Dalai Lama, Barkha chose to embrace Buddhism in 2012. She became a monk and adopted the name Gyalten Samten. Today, she resides in mountain monasteries and regularly shares glimpses of her spiritual journey on her Instagram.