Malini Sharma’s Life after Raaz: From Bollywood Fame to A Quiet Farm Life in The Sahyadris

For many Bollywood fans who grew up in the early 2000s, Malini Sharma is a face that can instantly bring back memories. She appeared in music videos, worked on television and later became part of the cast of the horror hit Raaz.

Then, she stepped away.

There was no major farewell, no elaborate announcement and no prolonged discussion about her decision. Malini Sharma simply became less visible in the entertainment world. More than two decades later, her life has taken an unexpected turn. She now lives close to nature in Maharashtra's Sahyadri Hills, where she runs a farmstay and has built a venture around food, farming and a slower pace of living.

The face many remember from music videos

Before Bollywood, Sharma had already gained recognition as a model and music-video performer. She was seen in Bombay Vikings' ​Kya Soorat Hai, a song that became particularly popular among music-video audiences of that era. She later appeared in Mika Singh's Saawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag.

Television followed, with Sharma featuring in the early-2000s series CATS, which also starred Nafisa Joseph and Kuljeet Randhawa. Her transition to films eventually brought her to Raaz.

Raaz gave her a Bollywood spotlight

Released in 2002, Vikram Bhatt's Raaz featured Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea in the lead roles. The supernatural thriller went on to become one of the better-known Hindi horror films of its time.

Sharma's role was not the central one, but she became particularly recognisable through the song Aapke Pyaar Mein. The track remains one of the most remembered songs associated with the film, and Sharma's appearance in it helped cement her image in the minds of early-2000s audiences. Her personal life was also in the news around this period. Sharma was married to actor Priyanshu Chatterjee, who had gained attention with Tum Bin. The marriage eventually ended in divorce.

What makes Sharma's story unusual is that her disappearance from Bollywood did not come with a dramatic public exit.

Reports from the period suggest that she was already considering a different direction. In 2002, she reportedly withdrew from a film shortly before filming was due to begin and was said to have been interested in exploring work away from being in front of the camera. After that, her appearances in mainstream entertainment became increasingly rare.

Instead of returning to the familiar cycle of films, promotions and celebrity appearances, Sharma gradually built another kind of career.

From Mumbai pop-ups to The Slow Local

Her next chapter took shape through The Slow Local, a venture focused on local food, handmade products, workshops and community experiences.

The project initially took shape through pop-ups and events in Mumbai. Its offerings extended beyond food, with activities and products connected to crafts, plants and handmade living. Homemade bread, granola, jams, peanut butter, coffee and oils were among the products associated with the venture.

Over time, the idea of slow living became more than a theme for the venture. It became the way Sharma chose to live.

Today, Sharma is based in the Sahyadri Hills in Maharashtra, around two hours from Pune, where she runs a farmstay.

Her daily surroundings are a long way removed from Bollywood studios. Instead of film sets, she spends time around farmland and trees. She grows vegetables and uses produce from the property while preparing meals for visitors who stay there.The setting also reflects her approach to the land. Reports about her farm describe a property surrounded by established trees and natural vegetation, with Sharma choosing to preserve parts of the landscape rather than turning everything into cultivated space.

It is a striking contrast to the world in which audiences first encountered her.

After 23 years, Malini Sharma faces the camera again

Sharma has recently given fans another glimpse into her life through The Slow Local Diaries.

The video series marks her return to the camera after a gap of roughly 23 years. But this time, there is no film character to play and no elaborate Bollywood production around her.

Instead, she is documenting her own life.

In introducing the series, Sharma spoke directly to those who had wondered what happened to her after Raaz. Her return to the camera is therefore less about a conventional acting comeback and more about showing audiences the person she has become away from the entertainment

Malini Sharma's journey is interesting precisely because it does not follow the usual celebrity comeback narrative.

She had the visibility that could have led to a longer career in Bollywood. Raaz gave her recognition, her music-video appearances had already made her familiar to audiences, and television had added another layer to her career.

Yet she eventually chose something else.

Today, her world revolves around a farm, homegrown vegetables, food, guests and the idea of living more deliberately. Her story is less about an actress who disappeared and more about someone who gradually created a life outside the expectations of the entertainment industry.

For those who remember Malini Sharma from Aapke Pyaar Mein or Raaz, her present-day life may seem like a surprising second act. But perhaps that is what makes it compelling: after spending years being recognised for what she did on screen, Sharma now appears to be enjoying a life defined by what happens away from it.