Barsha Priyadarshini

Varsha Priyadarshini (born 7 August 1984) is an Indian actress and politician who predominantly works in Odia-language films. She has also worked in Bengali films.

Early life Priyadarshini was born on 7 August 1984 in Cuttack, Odisha, India. She began her career as a fashion model before transitioning to acting at the age of 17.

Marital life Priyadarshini married Ollywood actor and BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty on 8 February 2014. The couple's marital discord began in less than six years of their marriage.

In July 2020, Mohanty filed a divorce petition in a Delhi-based court, alleging cruelty and non-consummation of the marriage, claiming there was no physical intimacy between them after the solemnisation of the marriage in 2014. Varsha had also filed a domestic violence case against Anubhav in a court in Cuttack, alleging physical, emotional, and economic abuse after their marriage.

On 22 September 2022, the family court rejected Anubhav's petition seeking a divorce. However, on 21 December 2023, the Orissa High Court overturned the family court's ruling and granted Mohanty a divorce decree under Section 13(1)(a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, establishing that he was treated with cruelty by his spouse. The High Court quashed the earlier ruling of the local family court and dissolved the marriage by a decree of divorce.

During their marital dispute, both parties utilised social media platforms to sling mud at each other publicly. In August 2022, a court in Cuttack upheld an order directing Priyadarshini to vacate her estranged husband's parental house in Cuttack city.

Political career In April 2024, Priyadarshini joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). She contested the Barchana constituency in the 2024 Legislative Assembly elections in Odisha but lost to Amar Kumar Nayak (BJP), who won with 71,926 votes

Filmography