Meet actress who became Salman Khan’s heroine by responding to an ad, a contract finished her career, her real name is…, first film was…

Many youngsters dream of making it big in the world of cinema, but very few get a chance to showcase their talent. Sometimes it takes years to reach where a talented person deserves to be. However, some have it quite easy in receiving their first opportunity. There onwards, it’s a different struggle altogether. We are going to talk about one such actress here.

Chandni saw an advertisement in a newspaper which read, “If you want to be Salman Khan's heroine, send in your photographs and details about your vital statistics to Sawaan Kumar Tak's office.” Guess what? She was actually selected on the basis of her answers and photographs. 

The film was Sanam Bewafa, which released in 1991, when Salman Khan’s stardom had already started after films like Maine Pyar Kiya and Baaghi. He was already in the making of a star. The Hindi film industry was also different in its approach back then. It was much simpler in its approach to filmmaking. The directors and producers were very keen on selecting the right talents for their films, rather than depending on recommendations. No concept of casting directors existed back then. 

So, Chandni, whose real name was Navodita Sharma, was selected for the role. She hailed from Delhi and became a sensation right after the release of Sanam Bewafa, which became a hit. Saawan Kumar Tak was the director of the film. 

However, her contract with Saawan Kumar Tak hindered her career in a big way. She couldn’t sign another film for a long time after Sanam Bewafa. Her contract was revoked later but by then she was already out of the film circuit as the leading lady. Later, she worked in films like Jai Kishan, Mr Azaad and 1942 A Love Story, but couldn’t regain the stardom she received after Sanam Bewafa. She got married in 1994 and moved out to the US.

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