Barkha Madan

Barkha Madan, also known as Gyalten Samten, is an Indian Buddhist nun, as well as a former model, beauty queen, actress and film producer, who has appeared in Hindi and Punjabi language films.

Early life & modelling Madan was born to a Punjabi family. 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. 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.

Turning to spirituality In November 2012, she decided to become a Buddhist nun. She was quite 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.

Filmography

Films Year Title Role Notes 1996 Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi Bollywood debut 1996 Driving Miss Palmen Indo-Dutch co-production 1999 Tera Mera Pyar Preet 2003 Bhoot Manjeet Khosla Played the ghost 2010 Soch Lo Raina Also producer 2014 Surkhaab Jeet Also producer; won Best Feature (Canada International Film Festival)

Television Year(s) Title Role Network / Notes 1999–2001 Nyaay DD Metro drama series 2002–2003 1857 Kranti Rani Laxmibai Historical TV serial 2005–2009 Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar Zee TV serial

Pageants and Production Finalist – Femina Miss India 1994 Titleholder – Miss Tourism India / Miss Tourism International Founder – Golden Gate LLC / Creations (produced Soch Lo, Surkhaab)

Notable television works 1857 Kranti as Rani Laxmibai Ghar Ek Sapnaa as Devika Saat Phere – Saloni Ka Safar as Reva Sehgal Suraag – The Clue as Ruby Ajeet Kumar (Episode 24), Rehana (Episode 36), Malathi Mahesh Sarang (Episode 42), and Poonam Pratap Singh (Episode 51) Nyaay